la 


THREE    HUNDRED 


SOP'S    FABLES 


f  itenllg  f  ranslatcfo  from  tin  (inch. 


BY    THE 

-"REV.   GEO.   FYLER  TOWNSEND,   M.  A. 


\VITII  VXK  H-UXDRED  AND  FOURTEEN  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


NEW   YORK: 
McLOUGHLIX   BROTHERS,  PUBLISHERS 


PREFACE. 


THE  Tale,  the  Parable,  and  the  Fable  are  all  com- 
mon and  popular  modes  of  conveying  instruction. 
Each  is  distinguished  by  its  own  special  character- 
istics. The  Tale  consists  simply  in  the  narration  of 
a  story  either  founded  on  facts,  or  created  soiely 
by  the  imagination,  and  not  necessarily  associated 
with  the  teaching  of  any  moral  lesson.  The  Parable 
is  the  designed  use  of  language  purposely  intended 
to  convey  a  hidden  and  secret  meaning  other  than 
that  contained  in  the  words  themselves ;  and  which 
may  or  may  not  bear  a  special  reference  to  the 
hearer,  or  reader.  The  Fable  partly  agrees  with, 
and  partly  differs  from  both  of  these.  It  will  con- 
tain, like  the  Tale,  a  short  but  real  narrative ;  it  will 
seek,  like  the  Parable,  to  convey  a  hidden  meaning, 
and  that  not  so  much  by  the  use  of  language,  as  by 
the  skillful  introduction  of  fictitious  characters ;  and 
yet,  unlike  to  either  Tale  or  Parable,  it  will  ever  keep 
in  view,  as  its  high  prerogative,  and  inseparable  attri- 
bute, the  great  purpose  of  instruction,  and  will  neces- 


iv  Preface. 

sarily  seek  to  inculcate  some  moral  maxim,  social 
duty,  or  political  truth.  The  true  Fable,  if  it  rise 
to  its  high  requirements,  ever  aims  at  one  great  end 
and  purpose — the  representation  of  human  motive, 
and  the  improvement  of  human  conduct,  and  yet  it 
so  conceals  its  design  under  the  disguise  of  fictitious 
characters,  by  clothing  with  speech  the  animals  of  the 
field,  the  birds  of  the  air,  the  trees  of  the  wood,  or  the 
beasts  of  the  forest,  that  the  reader  shall  receive 
advice  without  perceiving  the  presence  of  the  adviser. 
Thus  the  superiority  of  the  counselor,  which  often 
renders  counsel  unpalatable,  is  kept  out  of  view,  and 
the  lesson  comes  with  the  greater  acceptance  when 
the  reader  is  led,  unconsciously  to  himself,  to  have 
his  sympathies  enlisted  in  behalf  of  what  is  pure, 
honorable,  and  praiseworthy,  and  to  have  his  indig- 
nation excited  against  what  is  low,  ignoble,  and 
unworthy.  The  true  fabulist,  therefore,  discharges  a 
most  important  function.  He  is  neither  a  narrator, 
nor  an  allegorist.  He  is  a  great  teacher,  a  corrector 
of  morals,  a  censor  of  vice,  and  a  commender  of 
virtue.  In  this  consists  the  superiority  of  the  Fable 
over  the  Tale  or  the  Parable. 


LIFE   OF 


THE  life  and  history  of  yEsop  is  involved,  like  that  of  Homer, 
the  most  famous  of  Greek  poets,  in  much  obscurity,  Sardis, 
the  capital  of  Lydia  ;  Samos,  a  Greek  island  ;  Mesembria, 
an  ancient  colony  in  Thrace  ;  and  Cotia3um,  the  chief  city  of 
a  province  of  Phrygia,  contend  for  the  distinction  of  being 
the  birthplace  of  JEsop.  Although  the  honor  thus  claimed 
cannot  be  definitely  assigned  to  any  one  of  these  places,  yet 
there  are  a  few  incidents  now  generally  accepted  by  scholars 
as  established  facts,  relating  to  the  birth,  life,  and  death  of 
JEsop.  He  is,  by  almost  universal  consent,  allowed  to  have 
been  born  about  the  year  620  B.  c.,  and  to  have  been  by 
birth  a  slave.  He  was  owned  by  two  masters  in  succession, 
both  inhabitants  of  Samos,  Xanthus,  and  Jadmon,  the  latter 
of  whom  gave  him  his  liberty  as  a  reward  for  his  learning 
and  wit.  One  of  the  privileges  of  a  freedman  in  the  ancient 
republics  of  Greece,  was  the  permission  to  take  an  active 
interest  in  public  affairs  ;  and  -<Esop,  like  the  philosophers 
Phaedo,  Menippus,  and  Epictetus,  in  later  times,  raised  him- 
self from  the  indignity  of  a  servile  condition  to  a  position  of 
high  renown.  In  his  desire  alike  to  instruct  and  to  be  in- 
structed, he  traveled  through  many  countries,  and,  among 
others,  came  to  Sardis,  the  capital  of  the  famous  king  of 
Lydia,  the  great  patron,  in  that  day,  of  learning  and  of 
learned  men.  He  met  at  the  court  of  Croesus  with  Solon, 


vi  Life    of  JEsop. 

Thales,  and  other  sages,  and  it  is  related  so  to  have  pleased 
his  royal  master,  by  Ifae  part  he  took  in  the  conversations 
held  with  these  philosophers,  that  he  applied  to  him  an  ex- 
pression which  has  since  passed  into  a  proverb  :  "  The  Phry- 
gian has  spoken  better  than  all." 

On  the  invitation  of  Croesus,  he  fixed  his  residence  at 
Sardis,  and  was  employed  by  that  monarch  in  various  diffi- 
cult and  delicate  affairs  of  State.  In  his  discharge  of  these 
commissions,  he  visited  the  different  petty  republics  of  Greece. 
At  one  time  he  is  found  in  Corinth,  and  at  another  in  Athens, 
endeavoring,  by  the  narration  of  some  of  his  wise  fables,  to 
reconcile  the  inhabitants  of  those  cities  to  the  administration 
of  their  respective  rulers  —  Periander  and  Pisistratus.  One 
of  these  ambassadorial  missions,  undertaken  at  the  command 
of  Croesus,  was  the  occasion  of  his  death.  Having  been  sent 
to  Delphi  with  a  large  sum  of  gold  for  distribution  among 
the  citizens,  he  was  so  provoked  at  their  covetousness  that 
he  refused  to  divide  the  money,  and  sent  it  back  to  his 
master.  The  Delphians,  enraged  at  this  treatment,  accused 
him  of  impiety,  and,  in  spite  of  his  sacred  character  as  am- 
bassador, executed  him  as  a  public  criminal. 

These  few  facts  are  all  that  can  be  relied  on  with  any 
degree  of  certainty,  in  reference  to  the  birth,  life,  and  death 
of  JEsop.  They  were  first  brought  to  light,  after  a  patient 
search  and  diligent  perusal  of  ancient  authors,  by  a  French- 
man, M.  Claude  Gaspard  Bachet  de  Mezeriac. 


CONTENTS. 


PREFACE.                 

PAGK 

iii 

LIFE  OF  .iEsop               ...    . 

v 

^Ethiop 

PAGE 

74 

Boy  and  Filberts    

PAGE 

4? 

Ant  and  Dove           

105 

Boy  and  Nettles  

62 

16 

157 

Apes  and  Two  Travelers.  .  .  . 

157 

Boy  hunting  Locusts  

16 

215 

50 

Ass  and  Driver   

''09 

Brazier  and  his  Dog  

98 

Ass  and  Frogs.           

180 

Brother  and  Sister  ...  

176 

Ass  and  Grasshopper  
Ass  and  his  Masters  

14 
100 

Buffoon  and  Countryman  
Bull  and  Calf.  

227 

188 

192 

Bull  and  Goat 

I9? 

Ass  and  his  Shadow  
Ass  and  Horse  

99 
?1? 

Bull,  Lioness,  and  Wild-Boar 
Hunter  

18?! 

Ass  and  Lap-dog  
Ass  and  Mule  

45 
44 

Camel  

184 

Ass  and  (  )Id  Shepherd  

185 

Camel  and  Arab       

111 

Ass  and  Wolf  

163 

Camel  and  Jupiter  

900 

Ass  carrying  Image  
Ass,  Cock,  and  Lion  

93 
88 
°7 

Cat  and  Birds  
Cat  and  Cock  

56 
37 
113 

Ass  in  the  Lion's  Skin  
Astronomer  

189 
54 

Cat  and  Venus  
Cobbler  turned  Doctor  

224 
178 
17 

Maid  Man  and  Fly  

?% 

Charcoal-burner  and  Fuller.  . 

16 

Maid  Knight 

1  l)  i 

6<> 

Bat  and  Weasels 

14 

I'll 

*>fi 

70 

IVar  and  Two  Travelers  

88 

Crow  and  Mercury  

184 

Bee  and  Jupiter 

% 

141 

Belly  and  Members 

64 

ISO 

Bird-catcher,    Partridge,  and 
Cock 

78 

Crow  and  Serpent  

229 
<>!<> 

Birds,  Beasts,  and  Bat  
Bitch  and  her  Whelps  
Mlind  Man  and  Whelp  
Boasting  Traveler   ... 

186 
200 
177 

S8 

Dancing  Monkeys  
1  >(>r  and  Lion  
1  )<>"•  and  (  'ook 

118 

92 
115 

Bowman  and  Lion  

133 

Dog  and  Hare  

138 

Co  n  tents. 


Dog  and  Oyster  

PAGE 

"14 

Fox  and  Monkey  

PAGE 
1  "Y> 

Dog  and  Shadow          

Fox  and  Woodcutter 

103 

Dog,  Cock,  and  Fox  

165 
35 

Fox  who  had  lost  his  Tail  .  .  . 
Frogs  askin<r  for  a  King 

53 
41 

Dogs  and  Fox  

178 

Frogs'  complaint  against  Sun 

9RO 

901 

Dog's  House  
Dolphins,  Whales,  and  Sprat. 
Dove  and  Crow  

182 
68 
193 

Game-Cocks  and  Partridge.  .  . 
Geese  and  Cranes  
Gnat  and  Bull 

180 
175 
202 

8? 

Gnat  and  Lion  

148 
166 

Eagle  and  Beetle  

995 

Goat  and  Goatherd 

40 

Eagle  and  Captor  

Goatherd  and  Wild  Goats  .  .  . 

51 

1<J7 

Goods  and  Ills 

18') 

Eagle  and  Jackdaw  
Eagle  and  Kite  
Eagle,  Cat,  and  Wild  bow  .  . 

1115 
221 
139 

SO 

Grasshopper  and  Owl  

Hare  and  Hound  
Hare  and  Tortoise  

168 

127 
19 

136 

Farmer  and  Fox 

89 

Hares  and  Frosjs. 

107 

Farmer  and  his  Sons  

r>8 

Hares  and  Lions  

160 

Farmer  and  Snake 

99 

Hart  and  Vine 

1  45 

Farmer  and  Stork  

94 

Hawk  and  Nightingale  

164 

Father  and  his  Sons  
Father  and  his  Two  Daughters 

12 

70 

Hawk,  Kite,  and  Pigeons.  .  .  . 
Heifer  and  Ox  .    . 

67 
58 

Fawn  and  his  Mother  

26 

Hen  and  Golden  Eggs  

V") 

Fighting  Cocks  and  Eagle  .  .  . 
Fir  Tree  and  Bramble  
Fisherman  and  his  Nets  
Fisherman  and  Little  Fish.  .  . 

61 

/  2i 
74 
109 

Hen  and  Swallow  
Hercules  and  Wagoner  
Herdsman  and  lost  Bull  
Horse  and  Ass  

208 
20 
23 

170 

18 

45 

Fishermen  
Flea  and  Man  

172 

9]  4 

Horse  and  his  Rider  
Horse  and  Stag  

63 
151 

Flea  and  Ox 

-|q9 

Hunter  and  Horseman 

229 

Flea  and  Wrestler  

208 
98 

Hunter  and  Woodman  

102 

76 

Fly  and  the  Draught-  Mule.  .  . 
Fowler  and  Viper  
Fox  and  Bramble. 

172 
170 
91  R 

Image   of   Mercury  and   the 
Carpenter  

199 

Fox  and  Crane  
Fox  and  Crow,  

185 

Jackdaw  and  Doves  

150 

Fox  and  Goat  

31 
143 

Jackdaw  and  Fox  

201 
66 

Fox  and  Hedge-hog. 

187 

Jupiter     Neptune,    Minerva, 

1°1 

1% 

Fox  and  Lion 

155 

Fox  and  Lion  

188 

Kid  and  Wolf  

57 

Fox  and  Mask 

167 

Kid  and  Wolf 

147 

Fox  and  Monkey  .  .  . 

Kingdom  of  the  Lion  .  .  . 

18 

Co ntents 


Kind's  Son  and  Painted  Lion. 

PAGE 

223 

Mouse  and  Bull. 

PAGE 

114 

Kites  and  Swans  

138 

Mouse,  Frog,  and  Hawk 

73 

Mule  

139 

Laborer  and  Snake 

43 

Mules  and  Robbers  

''18 

Lamb  and  Wolf 

217 

Lamp  
Lark  and  her  Young  Ones  .  .  . 
Lark  burying  its  Father  
Lion  and  Boar  
Lion  and  Bull  
Lion  and  Dolphin  
Lion  and  Eagle  

124 
161 
202 
85 
167 
84 
908 

North  Wind  and  Sun  

Oak  and  Reeds.  
Oak  and  Woodcutters  
Oaks  and  Jupiter  
Old  Hound  
Old  Lion  

183 

101 
127 
108 
95 
'•4 

Lion  and  Fox  

207 
r>l 

Old  Man  and  Death  

60 

Lion  and  Mouse  

11 

Old  Woman  and  Wine-jar  .  .  . 

79 

Lion  and  Shepherd  

900 

Olive-tree  and  Fig-tree  

930 

Lion  and  Three  Bulls 

171 

One-eyed  Doe 

87 

Lion  Bear  and  Fox 

117 

Owl  and  Birds 

188 

Lion,  Fox,  and  Ass  

124 

Ox  and  Frog  

59 

Lion  in  a  Farm-yard  

10'> 

Oxen  and  Axle-trees  

34 

Lion  in  Love  .  . 

39 

Oxen  and  Butchers 

47 

Lion,  Jupiter,  and  Elephant. 
Lion,  Mouse,  and  Fox  
Lion,  Wolf,  and  Fox  
Lioness  

216 

48 
181 
32 

Panther  and  Shepherds  
Partridge  and  Fowler  
Peacock  and  Crane 

221 
213 
128 

Peacock  and  Juno 

162 

Man  and  his  Two  Sweethearts 
Man  and  his  Wife  .  . 

54 
152 

Peasant  and  Apple-tree  
Peasant  and  Ea^le 

204 
123 

Man  and  Lion  
Man  and  Satyr  .  . 

28 
191 

Philosopher,  Ants,  and  Mer- 
cury 

119 

Man  bitten  by  a  Dog  

76 

Playful  Ass 

118 

Man,  Horse,  Ox,  and  Dog.  .  . 
Manslayer  

154 

206 

Pomegranate,  Apple-tree,  and 
Bramble  

96 

Master  and  his  Dogs  
Mercury  and  Sculptor  

96 
110 

Porker,  Sheep,  and  Goat  
Prophet  

42 
14') 

Mercury  and  Workmen  
Mice  and  Weasels  

193 
86 

Quack  Frog  

181 

Mice  in  Council  
Milk-woman  and  her  Pail.  .  .  . 

90 
89 

Raven  and  Swan  

86 

Miller,  his  Son,  and  their  Ass.  . 
Mischievous  Dog  

111 

49 

•tich  Man  and  Tanner  
Rivers  and  Sea  

218 
91 

40 

210 

Mole  and  his  Mother  
Monkey  and  Camel  
Monkey  and  Dolphin-  
Monkey  and  Fishermen  ...  . 
Monkeys  and  their  Mother.  .  . 
Mother  and  Wolf  
Mountain  in  Labor  

203 
149 
106 
126 
211 
26 

Salt  Merchant  and  his  Ass.  .  . 
Sea-gull  and  Kite  
Seaside  Travelers  
Seller  of  Images  
Serpent  and  Eagle  
She-goats  and  their  Beards.  . 

50 
119 
97 
1(14 
144 
226 

Contents. 


Shepherd  and  Dog  

PAGE 

1  "5 

Two  Bags  

PAGE 

198 

Shepherd  and  Sea. 

88 

Two  Dogs 

104 

Shepherd  and  Sheep  

?04 

Two  Frogs 

114 

Shepherd  and  Wolf  

69 

Two  PYogs  

144 

Shepherd's  Boy  and  Wolf  
Shipwrecked  Man  and  Sea.  .  . 
Sick  Kite         

48 
220 
84 

Two  Men  who  were  Enemies. 
Two  Pots  
Two  Soldiers  and  Robber 

180 
69 
"05 

Sick  Lion  
Sick  Stag  

35 
61 

Two  Travelers  and  Axe  

94 

Sparrow  and  Hare  .            ... 

190 

Vain  Jackdaw  . 

55 

Spendthrift  and  Swallow  
Stag  at  the  Pool 

186 
199 

Vine  and  Goat  

65 

"19 

Stag  in  the  Ox-stall.  •.  
Stag,  Wolf,  and  Sheep  
Swallow  and  Crow  
Swallow,  Serpent,  and  Court 
of  Justice  

81 
136 
22 

68 

Walnut  tree  
Wasp  and  Snake  
Wasps,  Partridges,  and  Farmer 
Weasel  and  the  Mice  

148 
128 
175 
1  56 

108 

Widow  and  Little  Maidens 

66 

Swollen  Fox  
Thief  and  his  Mother 

110 

71 

Widow  and  Sheep  
Wild  Boar  and  Fox  
Wild  Ass  and  Lion 

80 
92 
80 

Thief  and  House-dog 

153 

Wolf  and  Crane  

15 

145 

Wolf  and  Fox 

142 

Thieves  and  Cock  

116 

Wolf  and  Goat  

16.9 

Thirsty  Pigeon                   .... 

84 

Wolf  and  Horse  

179 

1% 

Wolf  and  House  Dog  . 

91 

"09 

Wolf  and  Lamb  

18 

Tortoise  and  Ea<rle 

29 

Wolf  and  Lion   

105 

Town    Mouse    and    Country 

173 

Wolf  and  Lion  
Wolf  an!  Sheep  

185 

Traveler  and  Fortune  
Traveler  and  his  Dog 

120 
20 

Wolf  arid  Shepherd  
Wolf  and  Shepherds  

159 

97 

Travelers  and  Plane-tree  
Trees  and  Axe  

210 
131 
"05 

Wolf,  Fox,  and  Ape  
Wolf  in  Sheep's  Clothing  

174 

38 
56 

Trumpeter  taken  prisoner  .  .  . 

187 

201! 

Wolves  and  Sheep-dogs  
Woman  and  her  Hen  

132 
135 

Eleetrotyped  ly  Vincent  Dill,  25  and  27  2few  CJunnbcrs  Street,  N.  Y. 


THE 


FABLES  OF 


THE  LION  AND  THE  MOUSE. 

A  LION  was  awakened  from  sleep  by  a  Mouse  running 
over  his  face.  Rising  up  in  anger,  he  caught  him  and 
was  about  to  kill  him,  when  the  Mouse  piteously 
entreated,  saying :  "  If  3*011  would  only  spare  my  life, 
I  would  be  sure  to  repay  your  kindness."  The  Lion 
laughed  and  let  him  go.  It  happened  shortly  after 
this  that  the  Lion  was  caught  by  some  hunters, 


12  The  Fables   of 

bound  him  by  strong  ropes  to  the  ground.  The 
Mouse,  recognizing  his  roar,  came  up,  and  gnawed 
the  rope  with  his  teeth,  and  setting  him  free,  ex- 
claimed :  "  You  ridiculed  the  idea  of  my  ever  being 
able  to  help  you,  not  expecting  to  receive  from  rue 
any  repayment  of  your  favor ;  but  now  you  know 
that  it  is  possible  for  even  a  Mouse  to  confer  benefits 
on  a  Lion." 


THE  FATHEE  AND  HIS  SONS 

A  FATHER  had  a  family  of  sons  who  were  perpetu- 
ally quarreling  among  themselves.  When  he  failed 
to  heal  their  disputes  by  his  exhortations,  he  deter- 
mined to  give  them  a  practical  illustration  of  the  evils 
of  disunion ;  and  for  this  purpose  he  one  day  told 
them  to  bring  him  a  bundle  of  sticks.  When  they 
had  done  so,  he  placed  the  faggot  into  the  hands  of 
of  each  of  them  in  succession,  and  ordered  them  to 
break  it  in  pieces.  They  each  tried  with  all  their 
strength,  and  were  not  able  to  do  it.  He  next  un- 
closed the  faggot,  and  took  the  sticks  separately,  one 
by  one,  and  again  put  them  into  their  hands,  on  which 
they  broke  them  easily.  He  then  addressed  them  in 
these  words :  "  My  sons,  if  you  are  of  one  mind,  and 
unite  to  assist  each  other,  you  will  be  as  this  faggot, 
uninjured  by  ah1  the  attempts  of  your  enemies ;  but 
if  you  are  divided  among  yourselves,  you  will  be 
broken  as  easily  as  these  sticks." 


THE  WOLF  AND  THE  LAMB. 

A  WOLF  meeting  with  a  Lamb  astray  from  the  fold, 
resolved  not  to  lay  violent  hands  on  him,  but  to 
find  some  plea,  which  should  justify  to  the  Lamb 
himself  his  right  to  eat  him.  He  thus  addressed 
him :  "  Sirrah,  last  year  you  grossly  insulted  me." 
"Indeed,"  bleated  the  Lamb  in  a  mournful  tone  of 
voice,  "  I  was  not  then  born."  Then  said  the  Wolf, 
"  You  feed  in  my  pasture."  "  No,  good  sir,"  replied 
the  Lamb,  "  I  have  not  yet  tasted  grass."  Again  said 
the  Wolf,  "You  drink  of  my  well."  "No,"  exclaimed 
the  Lamb,  "  I  never  yet  drank  water,  for  as  yet  my 
mother's  milk  is  both  food  and  drink  to  me."  On 
which  the  Wolf  sci/cd  him,  and  ato  him  up,  saving, 


14  TJic   F<il>  lr s   of 

"  Well !    I  won't  remain  supperless,  even  thougli  you 
refute  every  one  of  niy  imputations." 

The  tyrant  will  always  find  a  pretext  for  his  tyranny. 


THE  BAT  AND   THE   WEASELS. 

A  BAT  falling  upon  the  ground  was  caught  by  a 
Weasel,  of  whom  he  earnestly  sought  his  life.  The 
Weasel  refused,  saying,  that  he  was  by  nature  the 
enemy  of  all  birds.  The  Bat  assured  him  that  he 
was  not  a  bird,  but  a  mouse,  and  thus  saved  his  life. 
Shortly  afterwards  the  Bat  again  fell  on  the  ground, 
and  was  caught  by  another  Weasel,  whom  he  likewise. 
entreated  not  to  eat  him.  The  Weasel  said  that  he 
had  a  special  hostility  to  mice.  The  Bat  assured 
him  that  he  was  not  a  mouse,  but  a  bat ;  and  thus  a 
second  time  escaped. 

It  is  wise  to  turn  circumstances  to  go6d  account. 


THE  ASS  AND   THE   GRASSHOPPER. 

AN  Ass  having  heard  some  Grasshoppers  chirping, 
was  highly  enchanted  ;  and,  desiring  to  possess  the 
same  charms  of  melody,  demanded  what  sort  of  food 
they  lived  on,  to  give  them  such  beautiful  voices. 
They  replied,  "  The  dew."  The  Ass  resolved  that  he 
would  only  live  upon  dew,  and  in  a  short  time  died 
of  hunger. 


THE   WOLF  AND    THE  CRANE. 

A  WOLF,  having  a  bone  stuck  in  his  throat,  hired 
a  Crane,  for  a  large  sum,  to  put  her  head  into  his 
throat  and  draw  out  the  bone.  "When  the  Crane 
had  extracted  the  bone,  and  demanded  the  promised 
payment,  the  Wolf,  grinning  and  grinding  his  teeth, 
exclaimed :  "  Why,  you  have  surely  already  a  suffi- 
cient recompense,  in  having  been  permitted  to  draw 
out  your  head  in  safety  from  the  mouth  and  jaws 
of  a  wolf." 

In  serving  the  wicked,  expect  no  reward,  and  be 
thankful  if  you  escape  injury  for  your  pains. 


16  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

i 

THE  CHARCOAL-BURNER  AND  THE  FULLER. 
A  CHARCOAL-BURNER  earned  on  his  trade  in  his  own 
house.  One  clay  he  met  a  friend,  a  Fuller,  and  en- 
treated him  to  come  and  live  with  him,  saying,  that 
they  should  be  far  better  neighbors,  and  that  their 
housekeeping  expenses  would  be  lessened.  The 
Fuller  replied,  "  The  arrangement  is  impossible  as  far 
as  I  am  concerned,  for  whatever  I  should  whiten,  you 
would  immediately  blacken  again  with  your  charcoal." 
Like  will  draw  like. 


THE  BOY  HUNTING  LOCUSTS. 
A  BOY  was  hunting  for  locusts.     He  had  caught  a 
goodly  number,  when  he  saw  a  Scorpion,  and  mis- 
taking him  for  a  locust,  reached  out  his  hand  to  take 
him.     The  Scorpion,  showing  his  sting,  said  :  "If  you  f 
had  but  touched  me,  my  friend,  you  would  have  lost 
me,  and  all  your  locusts  too  ! " 


THE  ANTS  AND  THE  GRASSHOPPER. 
THE  Ants  were  employing  a  fine  winter's  day  in 
drying  grain  collected  in  the  summer  time.  A  Grass- 
hopper, perishing  with  famine,  passed  by  and  earnestly 
begged  for  a  little  food.  The  Ants  inquired  of  him, 
"  Why  did  you  not  treasure  up  food  during  the  sum- 
mer ? "  He  replied,  "  I  had  not  leisure  enough.  I 
passed  the  days  in  singing."  They  then  said  in  deri- 
sion :  "  If  you  were  foolish  enough  to  sing  all  the  sum- 
mer, you  must  dance  supperless  to  bed  in  the  winter.' 


THE   COCK  AND    THE  JEWEL. 


A  COCK,  scratching  for  food  for  himself  and  his  hens, 
found  a  precious  stone ;  on  which  he  said :  "  If  your 
owner  had  found  thee,  and  not  I,  he  would  have 
taken  thee  up,  and  have  set  thee  in  thy  first  estate ; 
but  I  have  found  thee  for  no  purpose.  I  would 
rather  have  one  barleycorn  than  all  the  jewels  in  the 
world." 


18  The   Fables   of 


THE  KINGDOM  OF  THE  LION. 

THE  beasts  of  the  field  and  forest  had  a  Lion  as  their 
long.  He  was  neither  wrathful,  cruel,  nor  tyrannical, 
but  just  and  gentle  as  a  king  could  be.  He  madr 
during  his  reign  a  royal  proclamation  for  a  general 
assembly  of  all  the  birds  and  beasts,  and  drew  up 
conditions  for  an  universal  league,  in  which  the  Wolf 
and  the  Lamb,  the  Panther  and  the  Kid,  the  Tiger 
and  the  Stag,  the  Dog  and  the  Hare,  should  live 
together  in  perfect  peace  and  amity.  The  Hare  said, 
"  Oh,  how  I  have  longed  to  see  this  day,  in  which 
the  weak  shall  take  their  place  with  impunity  by 
the  side  of  the  strong." 


THE  FISHERMAN  PIPING. 

A  FISHERMAN  skilled  in  music  took  his  flute  and  his 
nets  to  the  sea-shore.  Standing  on  a  projecting  rock 
he  played  several  tunes,  in  the  hope  that  the  fish, 
attracted  by  his  melody,  would  of  their  own  accord 
dance  into  his  net,  which  he  had  placed  below.  At 
last,  having  long  waited  in  vain,  he  laid  aside  his  flute, 
and  casting  his  net  into  the  seay  made  an  excellent 
haul  of  fish.  When  he  saw  them  leaping  about  in 
the  net  upon  the  rock  he  said :  "  Oh  you  most  per- 
verse creatures,  when  I  piped  you  would  not  dance, 
but  now  that  I  have  ceased  you  do  so  merrily." 


THE  HARE  AND    THE   TORTOISE. 

A  HAKE  one  clay  ridiculed  the  short  feet  and  slow 
pace  of  the  Tortoise.  The  latter,  laughing,  said  : 
"Though  you  be  swift  as  the  wind,  I  will  beat  you 
in  a  race."  The  Hare,  deeming  her  assertion  to  be 
simply  impossible,  assented  to  the  proposal ;  and 
they  agreed  that  the  Fox  should  choose  the  course, 
and  fix  the  goal.  On  the  day  appointed  for  the  race 
they  started  together.  The  Tortoise  never  for  a  mo- 
ment stopped,  but  went  on  with  a  slow  but  steady 
pace  straight  to  the  end  of  the  course.  The  Hare, 
trusting  to  his  native  swiftness,  cared  little  about  the 


20  The   Fables   of 

race,  and  lying  down  by  the  wayside,  fell  fast  asleep. 
At  last  waking  up,  and  moving  as  fast  as  he  could, 
he  saw  the  Tortoise  had  reached  the  goal,  and  was 
comfortably  dozing  after  her  fatigue. 


THE   TRAVELER  AND  HIS  DOG. 

A  TRAVELER,  about  to  set  out  on  his  journey,  saw 
his  Dog  stand  at  the  door  stretching  himself.  He 
asked  him  sharply ;  "  What  do  you  stand  gaping 
there  for  ?  Everything  is  ready  but  you ;  so  come 
with  me  instantly."  The  Dog,  wagging  his  tail,  re- 
plied :  "  O,  master !  I  am  quite  ready ;  it  is  you  for 
whom  I  am  waiting." 

The  loiterer  often  imputes  delay  to  his  more  active 
friend. 


HERCULES  AND  THE  WAGONER. 

A  CARTER  was  driving  a  wagon  along  a  country 
lane,  when  the  wheels  sank  down  deep  into  a  rut. 
The  rustic  driver,  stupified  and  aghast,  stood  looking 
at  the  wragon,  and  did  nothing  but  utter  loud  cries 
to  Hercules  to  come  and  help  him.  Hercules,  it  is 
said,  appeared,  and  thus  addressed  him :  "  Put  your 
shoulders  to  the  wheels,  my  man.  Goad  on  your 
bullocks,  and  never  more  pray  to  me  for  help,  until 
you  have  done  your  best  to  help  yourself,  or  depend 
upon  it  you  will  henceforth  pray  in  vain." 
Self-help  is  the  best  help. 


THE  DOG  AND    THE  SHADOW. 

A  DOG,  crossing  a  bridge  over  a  stream  with  a  piece 
of  flesh  in  his  mouth,  saw  his  own  shadow  in  the 
water,  and  took  it  for  that  of  another  Dog,  with  a 
gnece  of  meat  double  his  own  in  size.  He  therefore 
let  go  his  own,  and  fiercely  attacked  the  other  Dog, 
to  get  his  larger  piece  from  him.  He  thus  lost  both  : 
that  which  he  grasped  at  in.  the  water,  because  it  was 
a  shadow;  and  his  own,  because  the  stream  swept 
it  away. 


22  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

THE  HOLE  AND  HIS  MOTHER. 

A  MOLE,  a  creature  blind  from  its  birth,  once  said  to 
liis  mother :  "  I  am  sure  that  I  can  see,  mother ! " 
In  the  desire  to  prove  to  him  his  mistake,  his  mother 
placed  before  him  a  few  grains  of  frankincense,  and 
asked,  "What  is  it?"  The  young  Mole  said,  "It  is 
a  pebble."  His  mother  exclaimed :  "  My  son,  I  am 
afraid  that  you  are  not  only  blind,  but  that  you  have 
lost  your  sense  of  smell." 


THE  SWALLOW  AND  THE  CROW. 

THE  Swallow  and  the  Crow  had  a  contention  about 
their  plumage.     The  Crow  put  an  end  to  the  dispute 
by  saying :  "  Your  feathers  are  all  very  well  in  the 
spring,  but  mine  protect  me  against  the  winter.'1 
Fine  weather  Mends  are  not  worth  much. 


THE  FARMER  AND  THE  SNAKE. 

A  FAEMER  found  in  the  winter  time  a  Snake  stiff 
and  frozen  with  cold.  He  had  compassion  on  it,  and 
taking  it  up  placed  it  in  his  bosom.  The  Snake  on 
being  thawed  by  the  warmth  quickly  revived,  when, 
resuming  its  natural  instincts,  he  bit  his  benefactor, 
inflicting  on  him  a  mortal  wound.  The  Farmer  said 
with  his  latest  breath,  "  I  am  rightly  served  for  pity- 
ing a  scoundrel ! " 

The  greatest  benefits  will  not  bind  the  ungrateful. 


THE  HERDSMAN  AND  THE  LOST  BULL. 


A  HERDSMAN  tending  kine  in  a  forest,  lost 
a  Bull-calf  from  the  fold.     After  a  long 
and   fruitless   search,  he  made  a  vow 
that,  if  he  could  only  discover  the 
thief  who  had  stolen  the  Calf,  he 
would  offer  a  lamb  in  sacrifice 


24  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

to  Hermes,  Pan,  and  the  Guardian  Deities  of  the 
forest.  Not  long  afterwards,  as  he  ascended  a  small 
hillock,  he  saw  at  its  foot  a  Lion  feeding  on  the 
Calf.  Terrified  at  the  sight,  he  lifted  his  eyes  and 
his  hands  lo  heaven,  and  said  :  "  Just  now  I  vowed  to 
offer  a  lamb  to  the  Guardian  Deities  of  the  forest  if 
I  could  only  find  out  who  had  robbed  me ;  but  now 
that  I  have  discovered  the  thief,  I  would  willingly  add 
a  full  grown  Bull  to  the  Calf  I  have  lost,  if  I  may 
only  secure  my  own  escape  from  him  in  safety." 


THE  FARMER  AND  THE  STORK. 

A  FARMER  placed  nets  on  his  newly-sown  plough 
lands,  and  caught  a  quantity  of  Cranes,  which  came 
to  pick  up  his  seed.  With  them  he  trapped  a  Stork 
also.  The  Stork  having  his  leg  fractured  by  the  net, 
earnestly  besought  the  Farmer  to  spare  his  life. 
"Pray,  save  me,  Master,"  he  said,  "and  let  me  go  free 
this  once.  My  broken  limb  should  excite  your  pity. 
Besides,  I  am  no  Crane ;  I  am  a  Stork,  a  bird  of  ex- 
cellent character ;  and  see  how  I  love  and  slave  for 
my  father  and  mother.  Look,  too,  at  my  feathers ; 
they  are  not  the  least  like  to  those  of  a  Crane."  The 
Farmer  laughed  aloud,  and  said,  "It  may  be  all  as 
you  say.  I  only  know  this :  I  have  taken  you  with 
these  robbers,  the  Cranes,  and  you  must  die  in  their 
company." 

Birds  of  a  feather  flock  together. 


THE  FAWN  AND  HIS  MOTHER. 

A  YOUNG  Fawn  once  said  to  his  mother.  "You  are 
larger  than  a  dog,  and  swifter,  and  more  used  to  run- 
ning, and  you  have,  too,  your  horns  as  a  defence. 
Why,  then,  O  mother !  are  you  always  in  such  a  ter- 
rible fright  of  the  hounds  ? "  She  smiled,  and  said  : 
"  I  know  full  well,  my  son,  that  all  you  say  is  true. 
I  have  the  advantages  you  mention,  but  yet  when 
I  hear  only  the  bark  of  a  single  dog  I  feel  ready 
to  faint,  and  fly  away  as  fast  as  I  can." 

No  arguments  will  give  courage  to  the  coward. 


26  The   Fables   of  Jtisop. 

THE  POMEGRANATE,  APPLE  TREE, 
AND  BRAHBLE. 

THE  Pomegranate  and  Apple-tree  disputed  as  to 
which  was  the  most  beautiful.  When  their  strife 
was  at  its  height,  a  Bramble  from  the  neighboring 
hedge  lifted  up  its  voice,  and  said  in  a  boastful  tone : 
"Pray,  my  dear  friends,  in  my  presence  at  least 
cease  from  such  vain  disputing^." 


THE  MOUNTAIN  IN  LABOR. 

A  MOUNTAIN  was  once  greatly  agitated.  Loud 
groans  and  noises  were  heard  ;  and  crowds  of  people 
came  from  all  parts  to  see  what  was  the  matter. 
While  they  were  assembled  in  anxious  expectation 
of  some  terrible  calamity,  out  came  a  Mouse. 
Don't  make  much  ado  about  nothing. 


THE  BEAR  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  BEAK  boasted  very  much  of  his  philanthropy, 
saying  "  that  of  all  animals  he  was  the  most  tender 
in  his  regard  for  man,  for  he  had  such  respect  for 
him,  that  he  would  not  even  touch  his  dead  body." 
A  Fox  hearing  these  words  said  with  a  smile  to 
the  Bear,  "  Oh !  that  you  would  eat  the  dead  and 
not  the  living." 


THE  ASS,   THE  FOX,  AND  THE  LION. 

THE  Ass  and  the  Fox  having  entered  into  partner- 
ship together  for  their  mutual  protection,  went  out 
into  the  forest  to  hunt.  They  had  not  proceeded 
far,  when  they  met  a  Lion.  The  Fox,  seeing  the 
imminency  of  the  danger,  approached  the  Lion,  and 
promised  to  contrive  for  him  the  capture  of  the  Ass, 
if  he  would  pledge  his  word  that  his  own  life  should 
not  be  endangered.  On  his  assuring  him  that  he 
would  not  injure  him,  the  Fox  led  the  Ass  to  a 
deep  pit,  and  contrived  that  he  should  fall  into  it. 
The  Lion  seeing  that  the  Ass  was  secured,  imme- 
diately clutched  the  Fox,  and  then  attacked  the 
Ass  at  his  leisure. 


28  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 


THE  FLIES  AND  THE  HONEY-POT 

A  JAR  of  Honey  having  been  upset  in  a  housekeep- 
er's room,  a  number  of  flies  were  attracted  by  its 
sweetness,  and  placing  their  feet  in  it,  ate  it  greedily. 
Their  feet,  however,  became  so  smeared  with  the 
honey  that  they  could  not  use  then*  wings,  nor  re- 
lease themselves,  and  were  suffocated.  Just  as  they 
were  expiring,  they  exclaimed,  "  O  foolish  creatures 
that  we  are ;  for  the  sake  of  a  little  pleasure  we  have 
destroyed  ourselves." 

Pleasure  bought  with  pains,  hurts. 


THE  MAN  AND  THE  LION 

A  MAX  and  a  Lion  traveled  together  through  the 
forest.  They  soon  began  to  boast  of  their  respect- 
ive superiority  to  each  other  in  strength  and  prowess. 
As  they  wrere  disputing,  they  passed  a  statue,  carved 
in  stone,  which  represented  "  a  Lion  strangled  by  a 
Man."  The  traveler  pointed  to  it  and  said  :  "  See 
there !  How  strong  we  are,  and  how  we  prevail 
over  even  the  king  of  beasts."  The  Lion  replied : 
"This  statue  was  made  by  one  of  you  men.  If  we 
Lions  knewr  how  to  erect  statues,  you  would  see  the 
Man  placed  under  the  paw  of  the  Lion." 
One  story  is  good,  till  another  is  told. 


THE  TORTOISE  AND  THE  EAGLE. 

A  TORTOISE,  lazily  basking  in  the  sun, 
complained  to  the  sea-birds  of  her  hard 
fate,    that  no   one   would  teach*  her  to 
fly.     An  Eagle  hovering  near,  heard  her 
lamentation,  and  demanded  what  reward 
she  would  give  him,  if  he  would 
-   *    take  her  aloft,  and  float  her  in 


30  The   Fables   of 

the  air.  "  I  will  give  you,"  she  said,  "  all  the  riches 
of  the  Bed  Sea."  "I  will  teach  you  to  fly,  then," 
said  the  Eagle ;  and  taking  her  up  in  his  talons,  he 
carried  her  almost  to  the  clouds, — when  suddenly 
letting  her  go,  she  fell  on  a  lofty  mountain,  and 
dashed  her  shell  to  pieces.  The  Tortoise  exclaimed 
in  the  moment  of  death :  "I  have  deserved  my 
present  fate  :  for  what  had  I  to  do  with  wings  and 
clouds,  who  can  with  difficulty  move  about  on  the 
earth?;' 

If  men  had  ah1  they  wished,  they  would  be  often 
ruined. 


THE  FARMER  AND  THE  CRANES. 

SOME  Cranes  made  their  feeding  grounds  on  some 
plough-lands  newly  sown  with  wheat.  For  a  long 
time  the  Farmer,  brandishing  an  empty  sling,  chased 
them  away  by  the  terror  he  inspired ;  but  when  the 
birds  found  that  the  sling  was  only  swung  in  the  air, 
they  ceased  to  take  any  notice  of  it,  and  would  not 
move.  The  farmer  on  seeing  this,  charged  his  sling 
with  stones,  and  killed  a  great  number.  They  at 
once  forsook  his  plough-lands,  and  cried  to  each 
other,  "  It  is  time  for  us  to  be  off  to  Liliput ;  for 
this  man  is  no  longer  content  to  scare  us,  but  be- 
gins to  show  us  in  earnest  what  he  can  do." 
If  words  suffice  not,  blows  must  follow. 


THE  FOX  AND    THE   GOAT. 

A  Fox  having  fallen  into  a  deep  well,  was  detained 
a  prisoner  there,  as  he  could  find  no  means  of  escape. 
A  Goat,  overcome  with  thirst,  came  to  the  same  well, 
and,  seeing  the  Fox,  inquired  if  the  water  was  good. 
The  Fox,  concealing  his  sad  plight  under  a  merry 
guise,  indulged  in  a  lavish  praise  of  the  water,  saying 
it  was  beyond  measure  excellent,  and  encouraged  him 
to  descend.  The  Goat,  mindful  only  of  his  thirst, 
thoughtlessly  jumped  down,  when  just  as  he  quenched 
his  thirst,  the  Fox  informed  him  of  the  difficulty  they 
were  both  in,  and  suggested  a  scheme  for  their  com- 


32  The  Fables  of  JKsop. 

mon  escape.  "If,"  said  lie,  "you  will  place  your 
fore-feet  upon  the  wall,  and  bend  your  Lead,  I  will 
run  up  your  back  and  escape,  and  will  help  you  out 
afterwards."  On  the  Goat  readily  assenting  to  this 
second  proposal,  the  Fox  leapt  upon  his  back,  and 
steadying  himself  with  the  Goat's  horns,  reached  in 
safety  the  mouth  of  the  well,  when  he  immediately 
made  off  as  fast  as  he  could.  The  Goat  upbraided 
him  with  the  breach  of  his  bargain,  when  he  turned 
round  and  cried  out:  "You  foolish  old  fellow!  If 
you  had  as  many  brains  in  your  head  as  you  have 
hairs  in  your  beard,  you  would  never  have  gone 
down  before  you  had  inspected  the  way  up,  nor 
have  exposed  yourself  to  dangers  from  which  you 
had  no  means  of  escape." 
Look  before  you  leap. 


THE  LIONESS. 

A  CONTROVERSY  prevailed  among  the  beasts  of  the 
field,  as  to  which  of  the  animals  deserved  the  most 
credit  for  producing  the  greatest  number  of  whelps  at 
a  birth.  They  rushed  clamorously  into  the  presence 
of  the  Lioness,  and  demanded  of  her  the  settlement 
of  the  dispute.  "And  you,"  they  said,  "how  many 
sons  have  you  at  a  birth  ?  "  The  Lioness  laughed  at 
them,  and  said:  "Why!  I  have  only  one;  but  that 
one  is. altogether  a  thorough-bred  Lion." 

The  value  is  in  the  worth,  not  in  the  number. 


THE  BEAR 

AM) 

THE  TWO  TRAVELERS. 

Two  men  were  traveling  together, 
when  a  Bear  suddenly  met  them  on 
their  path.  One  of  them  climbed  up 
quickly  into  a  tree,  and  concealed 
himself  in  the  branches.  The  other, 
seeing  that  he  must  be  attacked,  fell 
flat  on  the  ground,  and  when  the 
Bear  came  up  and  felt  him  with  his 


snout,  and  smelt  him  all  over,  he  held  his  breath, 
and  feigned  the  appearance  of  death  as  much  as 
he  could.  The  Bear  soon  left  him,  for  it  is  said 
he  will  not  touch  a  dead  body.  When  he  was  quite 


34  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

gone,  the  other  traveler  descended  from  the  tree, 
and  accosting  his  friend,  jocularly  inquired  "  what  it 
was  the  Bear  had  whispered  in  his  ear?"  he  replied, 
"  He  gave  me  this  advice  :  Never  travel  with  a  friend 
who  deserts  you  at  the  approach  of  danger." 
Misfortune  tests  the  sincerity  of  friends. 


THE   THIRSTY  PIGEON. 

A  PIGEON,  oppressed  by  excessive  thirst,  saw  a  goblet 
of  water  painted  on  a  sign-board.  Not  supposing  it 
to  be  only  a  picture,  she  flew  towards  it  with  a  loud 
whirr,  and  unwittingly  dashed  against  the  sign-board 
and  jarred  herself  terribly.  Having  broken  her  wings 
by  the  blow,  she  fell  to  the  ground,  and  was  caught 
by  one  of  the  bystanders. 

Zeal  should  not  outrun  discretion. 


THE  OXEN  AND  THE  AXLE-TREES. 

A  HEAVY  wagon  was  being  dragged  along  a  country 
lane  by  a  team  of  oxen.  The  axle-trees  groaned  and 
creaked  terribly  :  when  the  oxen,  turning  round,  thus 
addressed  the  wheels.  "Hullo  there!  why  do  you 
make  so  much  noise  ?  We  bear  all  the  labor,  and  we, 
not  you,  ought  to  cry  out." 

Those  who  suffer  most  cry  out  the  least. 


THE  DOG  IN  TEE  MANGER 

A  DOG  lay  in  a  manger,  and  by  his  growling  and 
snapping  prevented  the  oxen  from  eating  the  hay 
which  had  been  placed  for  them.  "What  a  selfish 
Dog ! "  said  one  of  them  to  his  companions  ;  "  he 
cannot  eat  the  hay  himself,  and  yet  refuses  to  allow 
those  to  eat  who  can." 


THE  SICK  LION. 


A  LION  being  unable  from  old  age  and  infirmities 
to  provide  himself  with  food  by  force,  resolved  to  do 
so  by  artifice.  He  betook  himself  to  his  den,  and 


36  The   Fables   of  £2 sop. 

lying  down  there,  pretended  to  be  sick,  taking  care 
that  his  sickness  should  be  publicly  known.  The 
beasts  expressed  their  sorrow,  and  came  one  by  one 
to  his  den  to  visit  him,  when  the  Lion  devoured 
them.  After  many  of  the  beasts  had  thus  disap- 
peared, the  Fox  discovered  the  trick,  and  presenting 
himself  so  the  Lion,  stood  on  the  outside  of  the 
cave,  at  a  respectful  distance,  and  asked  of  him  how 
he  did  ;  to  whom  he  replied,  "  I  am  very  middling, 
but  why  do  you  stand  without  ?  pray  enter  within 
to  talk  with  me."  The  Fox  replied,  "  No,  thank 
you,  I  notice  that  there  are  many  prints  of  feet 
entering  your  cave,  but  I  see  no  trace  of  any  re- 
turning." 

He  is  wise  who  is  warned  by  the  misfortunes  of 
others. 


THE  RAVEN  AND   THE  SWAN. 

A  RAVEN  saw  a  Swan,  and  desired  to  secure  for 
himself  a  like  beauty  of  plumage.  Supposing  that 
his  splendid  white  color  arose  from  his  washing  in 
the  water  in  which  he  swam,  the  Raven  left  the 
altars  in  the  neighborhood  of  which  he  picked  up 
his  living,  and  took  up  his  abode  in  the  lakes  and 
pools.  But  cleansing  his  feathers  as  often  as  he 
would,  he  could  not  change  then-  color,  while,  through 
want  of  food,  he  perished. 

Change  of  habit  cannot  alter  Nature. 


THE  CAT  AND   THE   COCK. 

A  CAT  caught'  a  Cock,  and  took  counsel  with  himself 
how  he  might  find  a  reasonable  excuse  for  eating 
him.  He  accused  him  as  being  a  nuisance  to  men, 
by  crowing  in  the  night  time,  and  not  permitting 
them  to  sleep.  The  Cock  defended  himself  by  say- 
ing, that  he  did  this  for  the  benefit  of  men,  that 
they  might  rise  betimes  for  their  labors.  The  Cat 
replied,  "  Although  you  abound  in  specious  apolo- 
gies, I  shall  not  remain  supperless  •"  and  he  made 
a  meal  of  him. 


38  The   Fables  of 


THE  BOASTING  TEAVELER. 

A  MAX  who  had  traveled  in  foreign  lands,  boasted 
very  much,  on  returning  to  his  own  country,  of  the 
many  wonderful  and  heroic  things  he  had  done  in  the 
different  places  he  had  visited.  Among  other  things, 
he  said  that  when  he  was  at  Rhodes  he  had  leapt  to 
such  a  distance  that  no  man  of  his  day  could  leap 
anywhere  near  him — and  as  to  that,  there  were  in 
Rhodes  many  persons  who  saw  him  do  it,  and  whom 
he  could  call  as  witnesses.  One  of  the  bystanders 
interrupting  him,  said  :  "  Now,  my  good  man,  if  this 
be  all  true  there  is  no  need  of  witnesses.  Suppose 
this  to  be  Rhodes ;  and  now  for  your  leap." 


THE  WOLF  IN  SHEEP'S  CLOTHING. 

ONCE  upon  a  time  a  Wolf  resolved  to  disguise  his 
nature  by  his  habit,  that  so  he  might  get  food  without 
stint.  Encased  in  the  skin  of  a  sheep,  he  pastured 
with  the  flock,  beguiling  the  shepherd  by  his  artifice. 
In  the  evening  he  was  shut  up  by  the  shepherd  in 
the  fold ;  the  gate  was  closed,  and  the  entrance  made 
thoroughly  secure.  The  shepherd  coming  into  the 
fold  during  the  night  to  provide  food  for  the  morrow, 
caught  up  the  Wolf,  instead  of  a  sheep,  and  killed 
him  with  his  knife  in  the  fold. 
Harm  seek,  harm  find. 


THE  LION  IN  LOVE. 

A  LION  demanded  the  daughter  of  a  woodcutter  in 
marriage.  The  Father,  unwilling  to  grant,  and  yet 
afraid  to  refuse  his  request,  hit  upon  this  expedi- 
ent to  rid  himself  of  his  importunities.  He  expressed 
his  willingness  to  accept  him  as  the  suitor  of  his 
daughter  on  one  condition;  that  he  should  allow 
him  to  extract  his  teeth,  and  cut  off  his  claws,  as 
his  daughter  was  fearfully  afraid  of  both.  The  Lion 
cheerfully  assented  to  the  proposal ;  when  however  he 
next  repeated  his  request,  the  woodman,  no  longer 
afraid,  set  upon  him  with  his  club,  and  drove  him 
away  into  the  forest. 


40  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

THE  GOAT  AND  THE  GOATHERD 

A  GOATHERD  had  sought  to  bring  back  a  stray  goat 
to  liis  flock.  He  whistled  and  sounded  his  horn  in 
vain ;  the  straggler  paid  no  attention  to  the  summons, 
At  last  the  Goatherd  threw  a  stone,  and  breaking  its 
horn,  besought  the  Goat  not  to  tell  his  master.  The 
Goat  replied,  "Why,  you  silly  feUow,  the  horn  will 
speak,  though  I  be  silent." 

Do  not  attempt  to  hide  things  which  cannot  be  hid. 


THE  MISER. 

A  MISER  sold  all  that  he  had,  and  bought  a  lump 
of  gold,  which  he  took  and  buried  in  a  hole  dug  in 
the  ground  by  the  side  of  an  old  wall,  and  went  daily 
to  look  at  it.  One  of  his  workmen,  observing  Iris 
frequent  visits  to  the  spot,  watched  his  movements, 
discovered  the  secret  of  the  hidden  treasure,  and 
digging  down,  came  to  the  lump  of  gold,  and  stole 
it.  The  Miser,  on  his  next  visit,  found  the  hole 
empty,  and  began  to  tear  his  hair,  and  to  make  loud 
lamentations.  A  neighbor,  seeing  him  overcome  with 
grief,  and  learning  the  cause,  said,  "Pray  do  not 
grieve  so ;  but  go  and  take  a  stone,  and  place  it  in 
the  hole,  and  fancy  that  the  gold  is  still  lying  there. 
It  wiU  do  you  quibe  the  same  sendee  ;  for  when  the 
gold  was  there,  you  had  it  not,  as  you  did  not  make 
the  slightest  use  of  it." 


THE  FROGS  ASKING  FOE  A  KING. 

THE  Frogs,  grieved  at  having  no  established  Ruler, 
sent  ambassadors  to  Jupiter  entreating  for  a  King. 
He,  perceiving  their  simplicity,  cast  down  a  huge  log 
into  the  lake.  The  Frogs,  -terrified  at  the  splash 
occasioned  by  its  fall,  hid  themselves  in  the  depths 
of  the  pool.  But  no  sooner  did  they  see  that  the  huge 
log  continued  motionless,  than  they  swam  again  to  the 
top  of  the  water,  dismissed  their  fears,  and  came  so  to 
despise  it  as  to  climb  up,  and  to  squat  upon  it.  After 
some  time,  they  began  to  think  themselves  ill-treated 
in  the  appointment  of  so  inert  a  Ruler,  and  sent  a 
second  deputation  to  Jupiter  to  pray  that  he  would  set 
over  them  another  sovereign.  He  then  gave  them  an 
Eel  to  govern  them.  When  the  Frogs  discovered  his 
easy  good  nature,  they  yet  a  third  time  sent  to  Jupiter 


42  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

to  beg  that  he  would  once  more  choose  for  them 
another  King.  Jupiter,  displeased  at  their  complaints 
sent  a  Heron,  who  preyed  upon  the  Frogs  day  by  day 
till  there  were  none  left  to  croak  upon  the  Lake. 


THE  PORKER,  THE  SHEEP,  AND  THE  GOAT. 

A  YOUNG  Pig  was  shut  up  in  a  fold-yard  with  a 
Goat  and  a  Sheep.  On  one  occasion  the  Shepherd 
laid  hold  of  him,  when  he  grunted,  and  squeaked,  and 
resisted  violently.  The  Sheep  and  the  Goat  com- 
plained of  his  distressing  cries,  and  said,  "he  often 
handles  us,  and  we  do  not  cry  out."  To  this  he  replied, 
"Your  handling  and  mine  are  very  different  things. 
He  catches  you  only  for  your  wool,  or  your  milk,  but 
he  lays  hold  on  me  for  my  very  life." 


THE  BOY  AND  THE  FILBERTS. 

A  BOY  put  his  hand  into  a  pitcher  full  of  filberts. 
He  grasped  as  many  as  he  could  possibly  hold,  but 
when  he  endeavored  to  pull  out  his  hand,  he  was 
prevented  from  doing  so  by  the  neck  of  the  pitcher. 
Unwilling  to  lose  his  filberts,  and  yet  unable  to 
withdraw  his  hand,  he  burst  into  tears,  and  bitterly 
lamented  his  disappointment.  A  bystander  said  to 
him,  "Be  satisfied  with  half  the  quantity,  and  you 
will  readily  draw  out  your  hand." 
Do  not  attempt  too  much  at  once. 


THE  LABORER  AND  THE  SNAKE. 

A  SNAKE,  having  made  his  hole  close  to  the  porch 
of  a  cottage,  inflicted  a  severe  bite  on  the  Cottager's 
infant  son,  of  which  he  died,  to  the  great  grief  of  his 
parents.  The  father  resolved  to  kill  the  Snake,  and 
the  next  day,  on  its  coming  out  of  its  hole  for  food, 
took  up  his  axe ;  but,  making  too  much  haste  to  hit 
him  as  he  wriggled  away,  missed  his  head,  and  cut 
off  only  the  end  of  his  tail.  After  some  time  the 
Cottager,  afraid  lest  the  Snake  should  bite  him  also, 


44  The  Fall e s  of 

endeavored  to  make  peace,  and  placed  some  bread 
and  salt  in  his  hole.  The  Snake,  slightly  hissing, 
said :  "  There  can  henceforth  be  no  peace  between 
us ;  for  whenever  I  see  you  I  shall  remember  the 
loss  of  my  tail,  and  whenever  you  see  me  you  will  be 
thinking  of  the  death  of  your  son." 

No  one  truly  forgets  injuries  in  the  presence  of  him 
who  caused  the  injury. 


THE  ASS  AND  THE  MULE. 

A  MULETEER  set  forth  on  a  journey,  driving  before 
him  an  Ass  and  a  Mule,  both  well  laden.  The  Ass, 
as  long  as  he  traveled  along  the  plain,  earned  his  load 
with  ease;  but  when  he  began  to  ascend  the  steep 
path  of  the  mountain,  he  felt  his  load  to  be  more  than 
he  could  bear.  He  entreated  his  companion  to  relieve 
him  of  a  small  portion,  that  he  might  carry  home  the 
rest ;  but  the  Mule  paid  no  attention  to  the  request. 
The  Ass  shortly  afterwards  fell  down  dead  under  his 
burden.  The  Muleteer,  not  knowing  what  else  to  do 
in  so  wild  a  region,  placed  upon  the  Mule  the  load 
earned  by  the  Ass  in  addition  to  his  OAOI,  and  at  the 
top  of  ah1  placed  the  hide  of  the  Ass,  after  he  had 
flayed  him.  The  Mule,  groaning  beneath  his  heavy 
burden,  said  thus  to  himself  :  "  I  am  treated  according 
to  my  deserts.  If  I  had  only  been  willing  to  assist 
the  Ass  a  little  in  his  need,  I  should  not  now  be  bear- 
ing, together  with  his  burden,  himself  as  well. 


THE  HOESE  AND   GROOM. 

A  GROOM  used  to  spend  whole  days  in  curry-combing 
and  rubbing  down  his  Horse,  but  at  the  same  time 
stole  his  oats,  and  sold  them  for  his  own  profit. 
"Alas!"  said  the  Horse,  "if  you  really  wish  me  to 
be  in  good  condition,  you  should  groom  me  less, 
and  feed  me  more." 

Honesty  is  the  best  policy. 


THE  ASS  AND   THE  LAP-DOG. 

A  MAN  had  an  Ass,  and  a  Maltese  Lap-dog,  a  very 
great  beauty.  The  Ass  was  left  in  a  stable,  and 
had  plenty  of  oats  and  hay  to  eat,  just  as  any  other 


46  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

Ass  would.  The  Lap-dog  knew  many  tricks,  and 
was  a  great  favorite  with  his  master,  who  often 
fondled  him,  and  seldom  went  out  to  dine  or  to  sup 
without  bringing  him  home  some  tit-bit  to  eat,  when 
he  frisked  and  jumped  about  him  in  a  manner 
pleasant  to  see.  The  Ass,  on  the  contrary,  had 
much  work  to  do,  in  grinding  the  corn-mill,  and  in 
carrying  wood  from  the  forest  or  burdens  from  the 
farm.  He  often  lamented  his  own  hard  fate,  and 
contrasted  it  with  the  luxury  and  idleness  of  the  Lap- 
dog,  till  at  last  one  day  he  broke  his  cords  and 
halter,  and  galloped  into  his  master's  house,  kicking 
up  his  heels  without  measure,  and  frisking  and 
fawning  as  well  as  he  could.  He  next  tried  to 
jump  about  his  master  as  he  had  seen  the  Lap- 
dog  do,  but  he  broke  the  table,  and  smashed  all 
the  dishes  upon  it  to  atoms.  He  then  attempted 
to  lick  his  master,  and  jumped  upon  his  back.  The 
servants  hearing  the  strange  hubbub,  and  perceiving 
the  danger  of  their  master,  quickly  relieved  him, 
and  drove  out  the  Ass  to  his  stable,  with  kicks,  and 
clubs,  and  cuffs.  The  Ass,  as  he  returned  to  his 
stall  beaten  nearly  to  death,  thus  lamented :  "  I  have 
brought  it  all  on  myself !  Why  could  I  not  have 
been  contented  to  labor  with  my  companions,  and 
not  wish  to  be  idle  all  the  day  like  that  useless 
little  Lap-dog ! " 


THE   OXEN  AND    THE  BUTCHERS. 

THE  Oxen  once  on  a  time  sought  to  destroy  the 
Butchers,  who  practised  a  trade  destructive  to  their 
race.  They  assembled  on  a  certain  day  to  carry  out 
their  purpose,  and  sharpened  their  horns  for  the 
contest.  One  of  them,  an  exceedingly  old  one  (for 
many  a  field  had  he  ploughed),  thus  spoke :  "  These 
Butchers,  it  is  trae,  slaughter  us,  but  they  do  so  with 
skilful  hands,  and  with  no  unnecessary  pain.  If  we 
get  rid  of  them,  we  shall  fall  into  the  hands  of  un- 
skilful operators,  and  thus  suffer  a  double  death  :  for 
you  may  be  assured,  that  though  all  the  Butchers 
should  perish,  yet  will  men  never  want  beef." 

Do  not  be  in  a  hurry  to  change  one  evil  for  another. 


48  The   Fables   of  jEsop. 

THE  LION,   THE  MOUSE,  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  LION,  fatigued  by  the  heat  of  a  summer's  clay,  fell 
fast  asleep  in  his  den.  A  Mouse  ran  over  his  mane 
and  ears,  and  woke  him  from  his  slumbers.  He  rose 
up  and  shook  himself  in  great  wrath,  and  searched 
every  corner  of  his  den  to  find  the  Mouse.  A  Fox 
seeing  him,  said :  "  A  fine  Lion  you  are,  to  be 
frightened  of  a  Mouse."  "  'Tis  not  the  Mouse  I 
fear,"  said  the  Lion ;  "  I  resent  his  familiarity  and 
ill-breeding." 

Little  liberties  are  great  offences. 


THE  SHEPHERD'S  BOY  AND    WOLF. 

A  SHEPHEED-BOY,  who  watched  a  flock  of  sheep 
near  a  village,  brought  out  the  villagers  three  or  four 
times  by  crying  out,  "  Wolf !  Wolf ! "  and  when  his 
neighbors  came  to  help  him,  laughed  at  them  for 
their  pains.  The  Wolf,  however,  did  truly  come  at 
last.  The  Shepherd-boy  now  really  alarmed,  shouted 
in  an  agony  of  terror :  "  Pray,  do  come  and  help  me ; 
the  Wolf  is  killing  the  sheep ;"  but  no  one  paid  any 
heed  to  his  cries,  nor  rendered  any  assistance.  The 
Wolf,  having  no  cause  of  fear,  took  it  easily,  and 
lacerated  or  destroyed  the  whole  flock. 

There  is  no  believing  a  liar,  even  when  he  speaks 
the  truth. 


THE  MISCHIEVOUS  DOG. 

A  DOG  used  to  run  up  quietly  to  the  lieels  of  every- 
one he  met,  and  to  bite  them  without  notice.  His 
master  suspended  a  bell  about  his  neck,  that  he  might 
give  notice  of  his  presence  wherever  he  went.  The 
Dog  grew  proud  of  his  bell,  and  went  tinkling  it  all 
over  the  market-place.  An  old  hound  said  to  him : 
"Why  do  you  make  such  an  exhibition  of  yourself? 
That  bell  that  you  carry  is  not,  believe  me,  any 
order  of  merit,  but,  on  the  contrary,  a  mark  of  dis- 
grace, a  public  notice  to  all  men  to  avoid  you  as 
an  ill-mannered  doa; " 

Notoriety  is  often  mistaken  for  fame. 


50  The   Fables   of  ^8  op. 

THE  BOYS  ANrt   THE  FROGS. 

SOME  Boys,  playing  near  &  pond,  saw  a  number  of 
Frogs  in  the  water,  and  began  to  pelt  them  with 
stones.  They  killed  several  of  them,  when  one  of  the 
Frogs,  lifting  his  head  out  of  the  water,  cried  out : 
"  Pray  stop,  my  boys :  what  is  sport  to  you,  is 
death  to  us." 


THE  SALT  MERCHANT  AND  HIS  ASS. 
A  PEDDLER,  dealing  in  salt,  drove  his  Ass  to  the  sea- 
shore to  buy  salt.  His  road  home  lay  across  a 
stream,  in  passing  which  his  Ass,  making  a  false 
step,  fell  by  accident  into  the  water,  and  rose  up 
again  with  his  load  considerably  lighter,  as  the  water 
melted  the  salt.  The  Peddler  retraced  his  steps,  and 
refilled  his  panniers  with  a  larger  quantity  of  salt 
than  before.  "When  he  came  again  to  the  stream,  the 
Ass  fell  down  on  purpose  in  the  same  spot,  and,  re- 
gaining his  feet  with  the  weight  of  his  load  much 
diminished,  brayed  triumphantly  as  if  he  had  obtain- 
ed what  he  desired.  The  Peddler  saw  through  his 
trick,  and  drove  him  for  the  third  time  to  the  coast, 
where  he  bought  a  cargo  of  sponges  instead  of  salt. 
The  Ass,  again  playing  the  knave,  when  he  reached 
the  stream,  fell  down  on  purpose,  when  the  sponges 
becoming  swollen  with  the  water,  ids  load  was  very 
greatly  increased ;  and  thus  his  trick  recoiled  on 
himself  in  fitting  to  his  Dack  a  doubled  burden. 


THE  SICK  STAG. 

A  SICK  Stag  lay  clown  in  a  quiet  corner  of  its  pasture- 
ground.  His  companions  came  in  great  numbers  to 
inquire  after  his  health,  and  each  one  helped  himself 
to  a  share  of  the  food  which  had  been  placed  for  his 
use  ;  so  that  he  died,  not  from  his  sickness,  but  from 
the  failure  of  the  means  of  living. 

Evil  companions  bring  more  hurt  than  profit. 


THE  GOATHERD  AND  THE  WILD  GOATS. 

A  GOATHERD,  driving  his  flock  from  their  pasture  at 
eventide,  found  some  wild  goats  mingled  among  them, 
and  shut  them  up  together  with  his  own  for  the  night. 
On  the  morrow  it  snowed  very  hard,  so  that  he  could 


52  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

not  take  the  herd  to  their  usual  feeding-places,  but 
was  obliged  to  keep  them  in  the  fold.  He  gave  his 
own  goats  just  sufficient  food  to  keep  them  alive,  but 
fed  the  strangers  more  abundantly,  in  the  hope  of 
enticing  them  to  stay  with  him,  and  of  making  them 
his  own.  When  the  thaw  set  in,  he  led  them  all  out 
to  feed,  and  the  wild  goats  scampered  away  as  fast  as 
they  could  to  the  mountains.  The  Goatherd  taxed 
them  with  their  ingratitude  in  leaving  him,  when 
during  the  storm  he  had  taken  more  care  of  them 
than  of  his  own  herd.  One  of  them  turning  about 
said  to  him,  "  That  is  the  very  reason  why  we  are  so 
cautious ;  for  if  you  yesterday  treated  us  better  than 
the  Goats  you  have  had  so  long,  it  is  plain  also  that 
if  others  came  after  us,  you  would,  in  the  same 
manner,  prefer  them  to  ourselves." 

Old  friends  cannot  with  impunity  be  sacrificed  for 
new  ones. 


THE  BOY  AND  THE  NETTLES. 

A  BOY  was  stung  by  a  Nettle.  He  ran  home  and  told 
his  mother,  saying,  "  Although  it  pains  me  so  much, 
I  did  but  touch  it  ever  so  gently."  "  That  was  just 
it,"  said  his  mother,  "  which  caused  it  to  sting  you. 
The  next  time  you  touch  a  Nettle,  grasp  it  boldly,  and 
it  will  be  soft  as  silk  to  your  hand,  and  not  in  the 
least  hurt  you." 

Whatever  you  do,  do  with  all  your  might. 


THE  FOX  WHO  HAD  LOST  HIS  TAIL. 

A  Fox  caught  in  a  trap,  escaped  with  the  loss  of  his 
"brush."  Henceforth  feeling  his  life  a  burden  from 
the  shame  and  ridicule  to  which  he  was  exposed,  he 
schemed  to  bring  all  the  other  Foxes  into  a  like 
condition  with  himself,  that  in  the  common  loss  he 
might  the  better  conceal  his  own  deprivation.  He 
assembled  a  good  many  Foxes,  and  publicly  advised 
them  to  cut  off  their  tails,  saying  "  that  they  would 
not  only  look  much  better  without  them,  but  that 
they  would  get  rid  of  the  weight  of  the  brush,  which 
was  a  very  great  inconvenience."  One  of  them  inter- 
rupting him  said,  "If  you  had  not  yourself  lost  your 
tail,  my  friend,  vou  would  not  thus  counsel  us." 


54  The   Fables   of  jEsop. 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  TWO  SWEETHEARTS. 

A  MIDDLE-AGED  man,  whose  hair  had  begun  to  turn 
gray,  courted  two  women  at  the  same  time.  One  of 
them  was  young  ;  and  the  other,  well  advanced  in 
years.  The  elder  woman,  ashamed  to  be  courted 
by  a  man  younger  than  herself,  made  a  point, 
whenever  her  admirer  visited  her,  to  pull  out  some 
portion  of  his  black  hairs.  The  younger,  on  the 
contrary,  not  wishing  to  become  the  wife  of  an  old 
man,  was  equally  zealous  in  removing  every  gray 
hair  she  could  find.  Thus  it  came  to  pass,  that 
between  them  both  he  very  soon  found  that  he 
had  not  a  hair  left  on  his  head. 

Those  who  seek  to  please  everybody  please  no- 
body. 


THE  ASTRONOMER. 

AN  ASTRONOMER  used  to  go  out  of  a  night  to  observe 
the  stars.  One  evening,  as  he  wandered  through  the 
suburbs  with  his  whole  attention  fixed  on  the  sky,  he 
fell  unawares  into  a  deep  well.  While  he  lamented 
and  bewailed  his  sores  and  bruises,  and  cried  loudly 
for  help,  a  neighbor  ran  to  the  well,  and  learning 
what  had  happened,  said :  "  Hark  ye,  old  fellow,  why, 
in  striving  to  piy  into  what  is  in  heaven,  do  you 
not  manage  to  see  what  is  on  earth?" 


THE  VAIN  JACKDAW. 

JUPITER  determined,  it  is  said,  to  create  a  sovereign 
over  the  birds ;  and  made  proclamation  that,  on  a 
certain  day,  they  should  all  present  themselves  before 
him,  when  he  would  himself  choose  the  most  beau- 
tiful among  them  to  be  king.  The  Jackdaw,  knowing 
his  own  ugliness,  searched  through  the  woods  and 
fields,  and  collected  the  feathers  which  had  fallen 
from  the  wings  of  his  companions,  and  stuck  them 
in  all  parts  of  his  body,  hoping  thereby  to  make 
himself  the  most  beautiful  of  all.  When  the  ap- 
pointed day  arrived,  and  the  birds  had  assembled 
before  Jupiter,  the  Jackdaw  also  made  his  appearance 
in  his  many-feathered  finery.  On  Jupiter  proposing 
to  make  him  king,  on  account  of  the  beauty  of  his 
plumage,  the  birds  indignantly  protested,  and  each 


56  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

plucking  from  him   liis   own  feathers,  the   Jackdaw 
was  again  nothing  but  a  Jackdaw. 


THE  WOLVES  AND  THE  SHEEP. 

"WHY  should  there  always  be  this  internecine  and 
implacable  warfare  between  us  ? "  said  the  Wolves 
to  the  Sheep.  "  Those  evil-disposed  Dogs  have 
much  to  answer  for.  They  always  bark  whenever 
we  approach  you,  and  attack  us  before  we  have  done 
any  harm.  If  you  would  only  dismiss  them  from 
your  heels,  there  might  soon  be  treaties  of  peace  and 
of  reconciliation  between  us."  The  Sheep,  poor  silly 
creatures !  were  easily  beguiled,  and  dismissed  the 
Dogs.  The  Wolves  destroyed  the  unguarded  flock  at 
their  own  pleasure. 


THE  CAT  AND  THE  BIRDS. 

A  CAT,  hearing  that  the  Birds  in  a  certain  aviary 
were  ailing,  dressed  himself  up  as  a  physician,  and, 
taking  with  him  his  cane  and  the  instruments  becom- 
ing his  profession,  went  to  the  aviary,  knocked  at  the 
door,  and  inquired  of  the  inmates  how  they  all  did, 
saying  that  if  they  were  ill,  he  would  be  happy  to 
prescribe  for  them  and  cure  them.  They  replied 
"  We  are  all  very  well,  and  shall  continue  so,  if  you 
will  only  be  good  enough  to  go  away,  and  leave  us 
as  we  are." 


THE  KID  AND    THE  WOLF. 

A  KID,  standing  on  the  roof  of  a  house,  out  of  harm's 
way,  saw  a  Wolf  passing  by :  and  immediately  began 
to  taunt  and  revile  him.  The  Wolf,  looking  up,  said: 


58  The   Fables  of  JEsop. 

"  Sirrah !  I  hear  tliee  :  yet  it  is  not  thoii  who  mockest 
me,  but  the  roof  011  which  thou  art  standing." 

Time  and  place  often  give  the   advantage  to   the 
weak  over  the  strong. 


THE  FARMER  AND  HIS  SONS. 

A  FARMER  being  on  the  point  of  death  wished  to 
ensure  from  his  sons  the  same  attention  to  his  farm 
as  he  had  himself  given  it.  He  called  them  to  his 
bedside,  and  said,  "  My  sons,  there  is  a  great  treas- 
ure hid  in  one  of  my  viney ards."  The  sons  after  his 
death  took  their  spades  and  mattocks,  and  carefully 
dug  over  every  portion  of  their  land.  They  found 
no  treasure,  but  the  vines  repaid  their  labor  by 
an  extraordinary  and  superabundant  crop. 


THE  HEIFER  AND  THE  OX. 

A  HEIFER  saw  an  Ox  hard  at  work  harnessed  to  a 
plough,  and  tormented  him  with  reflections  on  his 
unhappy  fate  in  being  compelled  to  labor.  Shortly 
afterwards,  at  the  harvest  home,  the  owner  released 
the  Ox  from  his  yoke,  but  bound  the  Heifer  with 
cords,  and  led  him  away  to  the  altar  to  be  slain  in 
honor  of  the  festival.  The  Ox  saw  what  was  being 
done,  and  said  with  a  smile  to  the  Heifer  :  "  For  this 
you  were  allowed  to  live  in  idleness,  because  you 
were  presently  to  be  sacrificed." 


THE  OX  AND    THE  FROG. 

AN  Ox,  drinking  at  a  pool,  trod  on  a  brood  of  young 
frogs,  and  crushed  one  of  them  to  death.  The  mother 
coming  up,  and  missing  one  of  her  sons,  inquired  of 
his  brothers  what  had  become  of  him.  "  He  is  dead, 
dear  mother;  for  just  now  a  very  huge  beast  with 
four  great  feet  came  to  the  pool,  and  crashed  him 
to  death  with  his  cloven  heel."  The  Frog,  puffing 
herself  out,  inquired,  "if  the  beast  was  as  big  as  that 
in  size."  "  Cease,  mother,  to  puff  yourself  out,"  said 
her  son,  "  and  do  not  be  angry ;  for  you  would,  I 
assure  you,  sooner  burst  than  successfully  imitate 
the  hugeness  of  that  monster." 


60  The   Fables   of 


THE  OLD  WOMAN  AND  THE  PHYSICIAN. 

AN  old  woman  having  lost  the  use  of  her  eyes,  called 
in  a  Physician  to  heal  them,  and  made  this  bargain 
with  him  in  the  presence  of  witnesses :  that  if  he 
should  cure  her  blindness,  he  should  receive  from 
her  a  sum  of  money ;  but  if  her  infirmity  remained, 
she  should  give  him  nothing.  This  agreement  being 
entered  into,  the  Physician,  time  after  time,  applied 
his  salve  to  her  eyes,  and  on  every  visit  taking  some- 
tiling  away,  stole  by  little  and  little  all  her  property ; 
and  when  he  had  got  all  she  had,  he  healed  her,  and 
demanded  the  promised  payment.  The  old  woman, 
when  she  recovered  her  sight  and  saw  none  of  her 
goods  in  her  house,  would  give  him  nothing.  The 
Physician  insisted  on  his  claim,  and,  as  she  still  re- 
fused, summoned  her  before  the  Archons.  The  old 
woman  standing  up  in  the  court  thus  spoke  : — "  This 
man  here  speaks  the  truth  in  what  he  says  ;  for  I  did 
promise  to  give  him  a  sum  of  money,  if  I  should 
recover  my  sight;  but  if  I  continued  blind,  I  was 
to  give  him  nothing.  Now  he  declares  '  that  I  am 
healed.'  I  on  the  contrary  affirm  'that  I  am  still 
blind ;'  for  when  I  lost  the  use  of  my  eyes,  I  saw  in 
my  house  various  chattels  and  valuable  goods :  but 
now,  though  he  swears  I  am  cured  of  my  blindness, 
I  am  not  able  to  see  a  single  thing  in  it." 


THE  FIGHTING  COCKS  AND  THE  EAGLE. 

Two  Game  Cocks  were  fiercely  fighting  for  the 
mastery  of  the  farm-yard.  One  at  last  put  the  other 
to  flight.  The  vanquished  Cock  skulked  away  and 
hid  himself  in  a  quiet  corner.  The  conqueror,  flying 
up  to  a  high  wall,  flapped  his  wings  and  crowed 
exultingly  with  all  his  might.  An  Eagle  sailing 
through  the  air  pounced  upon  him,  and  carried  him 
off  in  his  talons.  The  vanquished  Cock  immediately 
came  out  of  his  corner,  and  ruled  henceforth  with 
undisputed  mastery. 

Pride  goes  before  destruction. 


62  The   Fables  of  ^Esop. 

THE   CHARGER  AND    THE  MILLER. 

A  CHARGER,  feeling  the  infirmities  of  age,  betook  him 
to  a  mill  instead  of  going  out  to  battle.  But  when  he 
was  compelled  to  grind  instead  of  serving  in  the  wars, 
he  bewailed  his  change  of  fortune,  and  called  to  mind 
his  former  state,  saying,  "  Ah !  Miller,  I  had  indeed 
to  go  a  campaigning  before ;  but  I  was  barbed  from 
counter  to  tail,  and  a  maji  went  along  to  groom  me ; 
and  now,  I  cannot  tell  what  ailed  me  to  prefer  the 
mill  before  the  battle."  "Forbear,"  said  the  Miller 
to  him,  "  harping  on  what  was  of  yore,  for  it  is  the 
common  lot  of  mortals  to  sustain  the  ups  and  downs 
of  fortune." 


THE  FOX   AND    THE  MONKEY. 

A  MONKEY  once  danced  in  an  assembly  of  the  Beasts, 
and  so  pleased  them  all  by  his  performance  that 
they  elected  him  their  King.  A  Fox  envying  him  the 
honor,  discovered  a  piece  of  meat  lying  in  a  trap, 
and  leading  the  Monkey  to  the  place  where  it  was 
said,  "  that  she  had  found  a  store,  but  had  not  used 
it,  but  had  kept  it  for  him  as  treasure  trove  of  his 
kingdom,  and  counseled  him  to  lay  hold  of  it."  The 
Monkey  approached  carelessly,  and  was  caught  in 
the  trap ;  and  on  his  accusing  the  Fox  of  purposely 
leading  him  into  the  snare,  she  replied,  "  O  Monkey, 
and  are  you,  with  such  a  mind  as  yours,  going  to  be 
King  over  the  Beasts  ?  " 


THE  HOUSE  AND  HIS  EIDER. 
A  HORSE  Soldier  took  the  utmost  pains  with  his  charger. 
As  long  as  the  war  lasted,  he  looked  upon  him  as  his 
fellow-helper  in  all  emergencies,  and  fed  him  carefully 


with  hay  and  com.  When  the  war  was  over,  he  only 
allowed  him  chaff  to  eat,  and  made  him  carry  heavy 
loads  of  wood,  and  subjected  him  to  much  slavish 
and  ill-treatment.  War,  however,  being 


64  The   Fables   of 

again  proclaimed,  and  the  trumpet  summoning  him  to 
his  standard,  the  Soldier  put  on  his  charger  its  military 
trappings,  and  mounted,  being  clad  in  his  heaAy  coat 
of  mail.  The  Horse  fell  down  straightway  under  the 


weight,  no  longer  equal  to  the  burden,  and  said  to  his 
master,  "  You  must  now  e'en  go  to  the  war  on  foot,  for 
you  have  transformed  me  from  a  Horse  into  an  Ass ; 
and  how  can  you  expect  that  I  can  again  turn  in  a 
moment  from  an  Ass  to  a  Horse  ?  " 


THE  BELLY  AND  THE  MEMBERS. 

THE  members  of  the  Body  rebelled  against  the  Belly, 
and  said,  "  Why  should  we  be  perpetually  engaged  in 
administering  to  your  wants,  while  you  do  nothing  but 
take  your  rest,  and  enjoy  yourself  in  luxury  and  self- 
indulgence  ?  "  The  members  earned  out  their  resolve, 
and  refused  their  assistance  to  the  Body.  The  whole 
Body  quickly  became  debilitated,  and  the  hands,  feet, 
mouth,  and  eyes,  when  too  late,  repented  of  their  folly. 


THE  VINE  AND   THE  GOAT. 

A  YINE  was  luxuriant  in  the  time  of  vintage  with 
L  i;ives  and  grapes.  A  Goat,  passing  by,  nibbled  its 
young  tendrils  and  its  leaves.  The  Yine  addressed 
him,  and  said  :  "  Why  do  you  thus  injure  me  without 
a  cause,  and  crop  my  leaves  ?  Is  there  no  young  grass 
left '?  But  I  shall  not  have  to  wait  long  for  my  just 
revenge  ;  for  if  you  now  should  crop  my  leaves,  and 
cut  me  down  to  my  root,  I  shall  provide  the  wine  to 
pour  over  you  when  you  are  led  as  a  victim  to  the 
sacrifice." 


66  The  Fables  of 


JUPITER  AND    THE  MONKEY. 

JUPITER  issued  a  proclamation  to  all  the  beasts  of  the 
forest,  and  promised  a  royal  reward  to  the  one  whose 
offspring  should  be  deemed  the  handsomest.  The 
Monkey  came  with  the  rest,  and  presented,  with  all  a 
mother's  tenderness,  a  flat-nosed,  hairless,  ill-featured 
young  Monkey  as  a  candidate  for  the  promised  re- 
ward. A  general  laugh  saluted  her  on  the  presen- 
tation of  her  son.  She  resolutely  said,  "  I  know  not 
whether  Jupiter  will  allot  the  prize  to  my  son ;  but 
this  I  do  know,  that  he  is  at  least  in  the  eyes  of  me, 
his  mother,  the  dearest,  handsomest,  and  most  beau- 
tiful of  all." 


THE  WIDOW  AND  HER  LITTLE  MAIDENS. 

A  WIDOW  woman,  fond  of  cleaning,  had  two  little 
maidens  to  wait  on  her.  She  was  in  the  habit  of 
waking  them  early  in  the  morning,  at  cockcrow. 
The  maidens  being  aggrieved  by  such  excessive 
labor,  resolved  to  kill  the  cock  who  roused  their 
mistress  so  early.  When  they  had  done  this,  they 
found  that  they  had  only  prepared  for  themselves 
greater  troubles,  for  their  mistress,  no  longer  hearing 
the  hour  from  the  cock,  woke  them  up  to  their  work 
in  the  middle  of  the  night. 


THE  HAWK,  THE  KITE, 

AND 
THE  PIGEONS. 

THE  Pigeons,  terrified  by 
the  appearance  of  a  Kite, 
called  upon  the  Hawk  to 
defend  them.  He  at  once 
consented.  When  they  had 
admitted  him  into  the  cote, 


68  The   Fables   of  £3  so  p. 

they  found  that  lie  made  more  havoc  and  slew  a 
larger  number  of  them  in  one  clay  than  the  Kite 
could  pounce  upon  in  a  whole  year. 

Avoid  a  remedy  that  is  worse  than  the  disease. 


THE  DOLPHINS,  THE  WHALES,  AND  THE  SPRAT. 

THE  Dolphins  and  Whales  waged  a  fierce  warfare 
with  each  other.  When  the  battle  was  at  its  height, 
a  Sprat  lifted  its  head  out  of  the  waves,  and  said 
that  he  would  reconcile  their  differences,  if  they  would 
accept  him  as  an  umpire.  One  of  the  Dolphins  re- 
plied, "We  would  far  rather  be  destroyed  in  our 
battle  with  each  other,  than  admit  any  interference 
from  you  in  our  affairs." 


THE  SWALLOW,  THE  SERPENT,  AND  THE 
COURT  OF  JUSTICE. 

A  SWALLOW,  returning  from  abroad,  and  ever  fond  of 
dwelling  with  men,  built  herself  a  nest  in  the  wall  of  a 
Court  of  Justice,  and  there  hatched  seven  young  birds- 
A  Serpent  gliding  past  the  nest,  from  its  hole  in  the 
wall,  ate  up  the  young  unfledged  nestlings.  The 
Swallow  finding  her  nest  empty,  lamented  greatly, 
and  exclaimed :  "  Woe  to  me  a  stranger !  that  in  this 
place  where  all  others'  rights  are  protected,  I  alone 
should  suffer  wrong." 


THE  TWO  POTS. 

A  RIVER  carried  down  in  its  stream  two  Pots,  one 
made  of  earthenware,  and  the  other  of  brass.  The 
Earthen  Pot  said  to  the  Brass  Pot,  "  Pray  keep  at  a 
distance,  and  do  not  come  near  me  :  for  if  you  touch 
me  ever  so  slightly,  I  shall  be  broken  in  pieces ;  and 
besides,  I  by  no  means  wish  to  come  near  you." 
Equals  make  the  best  friends. 


THE  SHEPHERD  AND  THE  WOLF. 

A.  SHEPHERD  once  found  the  whelp  of  a  Wolf,  and 
brought  it  up,  and  after  a  while  taught  it  to  steal 
Limbs  from  the  neighboring  flocks.  The  "Wolf 
having  shown  himself  an  apt  pupil,  said  to  the 
Shepherd,  "  Since  you  have  taught  me  to  steal,  you 
must  keep  a  sharp  look-out,  or  you  will  lose  some 
of  your  own  flock." 


70  The  Fables   of  JEsop. 

THE    CRAB  AND  ITS  MO  THEE. 

A  CRAB  said  to  lier  son,  "  Why  do  you  walk  so  one- 
sided, my  child?  It  is  far  more  becoming  to  go 
straightforward."  The  young  Crab  replied  :  "  Quite 
true,  dear  mother ;  and  if  you  will  show  me  the 
straight  way,  I  will  promise  to  walk  in  it."  The 
mother  tried  in  vain,  and  submitted  without  remon- 
strance to  the  reproof  of  her  child. 

Example  is  more  powerful  than  precept. 


THE  FATHER  AND  HIS  TWO  DAUGHTERS. 

A  MAN  had  two  daughters,  the  one  married  to  a  gar- 
dener, and  the  other  to  a  tile-maker.  After  a  time  he 
went  to  the  daughter  who  had  married  the  gardener, 
and  inquired  how  she  was,  and  how  all  tilings  went 
with  her.  She  said,  "  All  things  are  prospering  with 
me,  and  I  have  only  one  wish,  that  there  may  be  a 
heavy  fall  of  rain,  in  order  that  the  plants  may  be 
well  watered."  Not  long  after  he  went  to  the  daugh- 
ter who  had  married  the  tile-maker,  and  likewise  in- 
inquired  of  her  how  she  fared ;  she  replied,  "  I  want 
for  nothing,  and  have  only  one  wish,  that  the  dry 
weather  may  continue,  and  the  sun  shine  hot  and 
bright,  so  that  the  bricks  might  be  dried."  He  said 
to  her,  "  If  your  sister  wishes  for  rain,  and  you  for 
dry  weather,  with  which  of  the  two  am  I  to  join  my 
wishes  ?" 


THE  THIEF  AND  HIS  MOTHER. 

A  BOY  stole  a  lesson-book  from  one  of  his  school- 
fellows, and  took  it  home  to  his  mother.  She  not  only 
abstained  from  beating  him,  but  encouraged  him.  He 
next  time  stole  a  cloak  and  brought  it  to  her,  when 
she  yet  further  commended  him.  The  Youth,  advanced 
to  man's  estate,  proceeded  to  steal  things  of  greater 
value.  At  last  he  was  taken  in  the  very  act,  and, 
1  laving  his  hands  bound  behind  him,  was  led  away  to 
the  place  of  public  execution.  His  mother  followed 
in  the  crowd,  and  violently  beat  her  breast  in  sorrow, 
whereon  the  young  man  said,  "  I  wish  to  say  something 
to  my  mother  in  her  ear."  She  came  close  to  him, 
when  he  quickly  seized  her  ear  with  his  teeth  and  bit 


72  The   Fables  of 

it  off.  The  Mother  upbraided  him  as  an  unnatural 
child,  whereon  he  replied,  "  Ah !  if  you  had  beaten 
me,  when  I  first  stole  and  brought  to  you  that  lesson- 
book,  I  should  not  have  come  to  this,  nor  have  been 
thus  led  to  a  disgraceful  death." 


THE  OLD  MAN  AND  DEATH. 

AN  old  man  was  employed  in  cutting  wood  in  the 
forest,  and,  in  carrying  the  faggots  into  the  city  for 
sale  one  day,  being  very  wearied  with  his  long  journey, 
he  sat  down  by  the  wayside,  and,  throwing  down  his 
load,  besought  "Death"  to  come.  "Death"  imme- 
diately appeared,  in  answer  to  his  summons,  and 
asked  for  what  reason  he  had  called  him.  The  old 
man  replied,  "  That,  lifting  up  the  load,  you  may  place 
it  again  upon  my  shoulders." 


THE  FIR  TREE  AND  THE  BRAMBLE. 

A  FIE  TREE  said  boastingly  to  the  Bramble,  "You 
are  useful  for  nothing  at  all ;  while  I  am  everywhere 
used  for  roofs  and  houses."  The  Bramble  made 
answer :  "  You  poor  creature,  if  you  would  only  call 
to  mind  the  axes  and  saws  which  are  about  to  hew 
you  down,  you  would  have  reason  to  wish  that  you 
had  grown  up  a  Bramble,  not  a  Fir  Tree." 
Better  poverty  without  care,  than  riches  with. 


THE  MOUSE,  THE  FROG,  AND  THE  HAWK. 

A  MOUSE  who  always  lived  on  the  land,  by  an  unlucky 
chance  formed  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  a  Frog, 
who  lived  for  the  most  part  in  the  water.  The  Frog, 
one  day  intent  on  mischief,  bound  the  foot  of  the 
Mouse  tightly  to  his  own.  Thus  joined  together,  the 
Frog  first  of  all  led  his  Mend  the  Mouse  to  the 
meadow  where  they  were  accustomed  to  find  their 
food.  After  this,  he  gradually  led  him  towards  the 
pool  in  which  he  lived,  until  he  reached  the  very 
brink,  when  suddenly  jumping  in  he  dragged  the 
Mouse  in  with  him.  The  Frog  enjoyed  the  water 
amazingly,  and  swam  croaking  about,  as  if  he  had 
done  a  meritorious  action.  The  unhappy  Mouse  was 
soon  suffocated  with  the  water,  and  his  dead  body 


74  The   Fables  of 

floated  about  on  the  surface,  tied  to  the  foot  of  the 
Frog.  A  Hawk  observed  it,  and,  pouncing  upon  it 
with  his  talons,  carried  it  up  aloft.  The  Frog  being 
still  fastened  to  the  leg  of  the  Mouse,  was  also  car- 
ried off  a  prisoner,  and  was  eaten  by  the  Hawk. 
Harm  hatch,  harm  catch. 


THE  JETHIOP. 

THE  purchaser  of  a  black  servant  was  persuaded  that 
the  color  of  his  skin  arose  from  dirt  contracted 
through  the  neglect  of  his  former  masters.  On 
bringing  him  home  he  resorted  to  every  means  of 
cleaning,  and  subjected  him  to  incessant  scrubbings. 
He  caught  a  severe  cold,  but  he  never  changed  his 
color  or  complexion. 

"What's  bred  in  the  bone  will  stick  to  the  flesh. 


THE  FISHERMAN  AND  HIS  NETS. 

A  FISHERMAN,  engaged  in  his  calling,  made  a  very 
successful  cast,  and  captured  a  great  haul  of  fish. 
He  managed  by  a  skillful  handling  of  his  net  to 
retain  ah1  the  large  fish,  and  to  draw  them  to  the 
shore;  but  he  could  not  prevent  the  smaller  fish 
from  falling  back  through  the  meshes  of  the  net 
into  the  sea. 


THE   WOLF  AND  THE  SHEEP. 

A  WOLF,  sorely  wounded  and  bitten  by  dogs,  lay  sick 
and  maimed  in  his  lair.  Being  in  want  of  food,  he 
called  to  a  Sheep,  who  was  passing,  and  asked  him 
to  fetch  some  water  from  a  stream  flowing  close 
beside  him.  "For,"  he  said,  "if  you  will  bring  me 
drink,  I  will  find  means  to  provide  myself  with 
meat."  "Yes,"  said  the  Sheep,  "if  I  should  bring 
you  the  draught,  you  would  doubtless  make  me 
provide  the  meat  also." 

Hypocritical  speeches  are  easily  seen  through. 


76  The   Fables   of 


THE  MAN  BITTEN  BY  A  DOG. 

A  MAN  who  had  been  bitten  by  a  Dog,  went  about 
in  quest  of  some  one  who  might  heal  him.  A  friend 
meeting  him,  and  learning  what  he  wanted,  said,  "  If 
you  would  be  cured,  take  a  piece  of  bread,  and  dip  it 
in  the  blood  from  your  wound,  and  go  and  give  it 
to  the  Dog  that  bit  you."  The  Man  who  had  been 
bitten,  laughed  at  this  advice,  and  said,  "  Why  ?  If  I 
should  do  so,  it  would  be  as  if  I  should  pray  every 
Dog  in  the  town  to  bite  me." 

Benefits  bestowed  upon  the  evil-disposed,  increase 
their  means  of  injuring  you. 


THE  HUNTSMAN  AND  THE  FISHERMAN. 

A  HUNTSMAN,  returning  with  his  dogs  from  the  field, 
fell  in  by  chance  with  a  Fisherman,  bringing  home  a 
basket  well  laden  with  fish.  The  Huntsman  wished  to 
have  the  fish ;  and  their  owner  experienced  an  equal 
longing  for  the  contents  of  the  game-bag.  They 
quickly  agreed  to  exchange  the  produce  of  their  day's 
sport.  Each  was  so  well  pleased  with  his  bargain, 
that  they  made  for  some  time  the  same  exchange  day 
after  day.  A  neighbor  said  to  them,  "  If  you  go  on 
in  this  way,  you  will  soon  destroy,  by  frequent  use, 
the  pleasure  of  your  exchange,  and  each  will  again 
wish  to  retain  the  fruits  of  his  own  sport." 
Abstain  and  enjoy. 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  CROW. 

A  CROW  having  stolen  a  bit  of  flesh, 
perched  in  a  tree,  and  held  it  in  her 
beak.  A  Fox  seeing  her,  longed  to 
possess  himself  of  the  flesh  :  and  by 
a  wily  stratagem  succeeded.  "  How 
handsome  is  the  Crow,"  he  exclaimed, 
"in  the  beauty  of  her  shape  and  in 
the  fairness  of  her  complexion !  Oh, 
if  her  voice  were  only  equal  to  her 
beauty,  she  would  deservedly  be  con- 
sidered the  Queen  of  Birds ! "  This 


78  The   Fables   of 

he  said  deceitfully ;  but  the  Crow,  anxious  to  refute 
the  reflection  cast  upon  her  voice,  set  up  a  loud 
caw,  and  dropped  the  flesh.  The  Fox  quickly  picked 
it  up,  and  thus  addressed  the  Crow :  "  My  good 
Crow,  your  voice  is  right  enough,  but  your  wit  is 
wanting." 


THE  BIRD-CATCHER,  THE  PARTRIDGE,  AND 
THE  COCK. 

A  BIRD-CATCHER  was  about  to  sit  down  to  a  dinner 
of  herbs,  when  a  friend  unexpectedly  carne  in.  The 
bird-trap  was  quite  empty,  as  he  had  caught  nothing. 
He  proceeded  to  kill  a  pied  Partridge,  which  he  had 
tamed  for  a  decoy.  He  entreated  thus  earnestly  for 
his  life  :  "  What  would  you  do  without  me  when  next 
you  spread  your  nets?  Who  would  chirp  you  to 
sleep,  or  call  for  you  the  covey  of  answering  birds  ?  " 
The  Bird-catcher  spared  his  life,  and  determined  to 
pick  out  a  fine  young  Cock  just  attaining  to  his  comb. 
He  thus  expostulated  in  piteous  tones  from  his  perch : 
"If  you  kill  me,  who  will  announce  to  you  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  dawn  ?  Who  will  wake  you  to  your 
daily  tasks  ?  or  tell  you  when  it  is  time  to  visit  the 
bird-trap  in  the  morning  ?  "  He  replied,  "  What  you 
say  is  true.  You  are  a  capital  bird  at  telling  the 
time  of  day.  But  I  and  the  friend  who  has  come  in 
must  have  our  dinners." 
Necessity  knows  no  law. 


THE  OLD  WOMAN  AND  THE  WINE-JAR. 

AN  Old  Woman  found  an  empty  jar  which  had  lately 
been  full  of  prime  old  wine,  and  which  still  retained 
the  fragrant  smell  of  its  former  contents.  She  greed- 
ily placed  it  several  times  to  her  nose,  and  drawing 
it  backwards  and  forwards  said,  "  O  most  delicious ! 
Ho\\  nice  must  the  Wine  itself  have  been,  when  it 
leaves  behind  in  the  very  vessel  which  contained  it 
so  sweet  a  perfume!" 

The  memory  of  a  good  deed  lives. 


80  The   Fables   of 

THE  WIDOW  AND  THE  SHEEP. 

A  CERTAIN  poor  Widow  liad  one  solitary  Sheep.  At 
shearing  time,  •wishing  to  take  his  fleece,  and  to  avoid 
expense,  she  sheared  him  herself,  but  used  the  shears 
so  unskillfully,  that  with  the  fleece  she  sheared  the 
flesh.  The  Sheep,  writhing  with  pain,  said,  "Why 
do  you  hurt  me  so,  Mistress  ?  "What  weight  can  my 
blood  add  to  the  wool  ?  If  you  want  my  flesh,  there 
is  the  butcher,  who  will  kill  me  in  a  trice;  but  if 
you  want  my  fleece  and  wool,  there  is  the  shearer, 
who  will  shear  and  not  hurt  me." 

The  least  outlay  is  not  always  the  greatest  gain. 


THE  WILD  ASS  AND  THE  LION. 

A  WILD  Ass  and  a  Lion  entered  into  an  alliance 
that  they  might  capture  the  beasts  of  the  forest  with 
the  greater  ease.  The  Lion  agreed  to  assist  the  Wild 
Ass  with  his  strength,  while  the  Wild  Ass  gave  tho 
Lion  the  benefit  of  his  greater  speed.  When  they 
had  taken  as  many  beasts  as  their  necessities  re- 
quired, the  Lion  undertook  to  distribute  the  prey, 
and  for  this  purpose  divided  it  into  three  shares. 
"  I  will  take  the  first  share,"  he  said,  "  because  I 
am  King :  and  the  second  share,  as  a  partner  with 
you  in  the  chase :  and  the  third  share,  believe  me, 
will  be  a  source  of  great  evil  to  you,  unless  you  will- 
ingly resign  it  to  me,  and  set  off  as  fast  as  you  can." 
Might  makes  right. 


THE  STAG  IN  THE  OX- STALL. 

A  STAG,  hardly  pressed  by  the  hounds,  and  blind 
through  fear  to  the  danger  he  was  running  into,  took 
shelter  in  a  farm-yard,  and  hid  himself  in  a  shed 
among  the  oxen.  An  Ox  gave  him  this  kindly 
Warning :  "  O  unhappy  creature !  why  should  you 
thus,  of  your  own  accord,  incur  destruction,  and  trust 
yourself  in  the  house  of  your  enemy?  "  The  Stag 
replied :  "  Do  you  only  suffer  me,  friend,  to  stay  where 
I  am,  and  I  will  undertake  to  find  some  favorable 
opportunity  of  effecting  my  escape."  At  the  approach 
of  the  evening  the  herdsman  came  to  feed  his  cattle, 
but  did  not  see  the  Stag ;  and  even  the  farm-bailiff, 
with  several  laborers,  passed  through  the  shed, 


82  The   Fables  of 

and  failed  to  notice  him.  The  Stag,  congratulating 
himself  on  his  safety,  began  to  express  his  sincere 
thanks  to  the  Oxen  who  had  kindly  afforded  him  help 
in  the  hour  of  need.  One  of  them  again  answered 
him :  "  We  indeed  wish  you  well,  but  the  danger  is 
not  over.  There  is  one  other  yet  to  pass  through  the 
shed,  who  has  as  it  were  a  hundred  eyes,  and,  until 
he  has  come  and  gone,  your  life  is  still  in  peril."  At 
that  moment  the  master  himself  entered,  and  having 
had  to  complain  that  his  oxen  had  not  been  properly 
fed,  he  went  up  to  their  racks,  and  cried  out :  "  Why 
is  there  such  a  scarcity  of  fodder  ?  There  is  not  half 
enough  straw  for  them  to  lie  on.  Those  lazy  fellows 
have  not  even  swept  the  cobwebs  away."  While  he 
thus  examined  everything  in  turn,  he  spied  the  tips 
of  the  antlers  of  the  Stag  peeping  out  of  the  straw. 
Then  summoning  his  laborers,  he  ordered  that  the 
Stag  should  be  seized,  and  killed. 


THE  FARMER  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  FARMER,  having  a  long  spite  against  a  Fox  for 
robbing  his  poultry  yard,  caught  him  at  last,  and} 
being  determined  to  take  an  ample  revenge,  tied  some 
tow  well  soaked  in  oil  to  his  tail,  and  set  it  on  fire. 
The  Fox  by  a  strange  fatality  rushed  to  the  fields  of 
the  Farmer  who  had  captured  him.  It  was  the  time 
of  the  wheat  harvest ;  but  the  Farmer  reaped  nothing 
that  year,  and  returned  home  grieving  sorely. 


THE  EAGLE  AND  THE  ARROW. 

AN  Eagle  sat  on  a  lofty  rock,  watching  the  move- 
ments of  a  Hare,  whom  he  sought  to  make  his  prey. 
An  archer  who  saw  him  from  a  place  of  concealment, 
took  an  accurate  aim,  and  wounded  him  mortally. 
The  Eagle  gave  one  look  at  the  arrow  that  had 
entered  his  heart,  and  saw  in  that  single  glance 
that  its  feathers  had  been  furnished  by  himself. 
"  It  is  a  double  grief  to  me,"  he  exclaimed,  "  that 
I  should  perish  by  an  arrow  feathered  from  my  own 
wings." 

A    consciousness   of    misfortunes   arising    from   a 
man's  own  misconduct  aggravates  their  bitterness. 


84  The   Fables   of 


THE  SICK  KITE. 

A  KITE,  sick  unto  death,  said  to  his  mother,  :  "  O 
Mother  !  do  not  mourn,  but  at  once  invoke  the  gods 
that  my  life  may  be  prolonged."  She  replied,  "Alas  ! 
my  son,  which  of  the  gods  do  you  think  mil  pity 
you?  Is  there  one  whom  you  have  not  outraged 
by  filching  from  their  very  altars  a  part  of  the  sac- 
rifice offered  up  to  them?" 

We  must  make  friends  in  prosperity,  if  we  would 
have  their  help  in  adversity. 


THE  LION  AND  THE  DOLPHIN. 
A  LION  roaming  by  the  sea-shore,  saw  a  Dolphin 
lift  up  its  head  out  of  the  waves,  and  asked  him  to 
contract  an  alliance  with  him ;  saying  that  of  all  the 
animals  they  ought  to  be  the  best  friends,  since  the 
one  was  the  king  of  beasts  on  the  earth,  and  the  other 
was  the  sovereign  ruler  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
ocean.  The  Dolphin  gladly  consented  to  this  request. 
Not  long  afterwards  the  Lion  had  a  combat  with  a 
wild  bull,  and  called  on  the  Dolphin  to  help  him. 
The  Dolphin,  though  quite  willing  to  give  him  assist- 
ance, was  unable  to  do  so,  as  he  could  not  by  any 
means  reach  the  land.  The  Lion  abused  him  as  a 
traitor.  The  Dolphin  replied,  "Nay,  my  friend, 
blame  not  me,  but  Nature,  who,  while  giving  me 
the  sovereignty  of  the  sea,  has  quite  denied  me  the 
power  of  living  upon  the  land." 


THE   LION  AND    THE  BOAR 

Ox  a  summer  day,  when  the  great  heat  induced  a 
general  thirst,  a  Lion  and  a  Boar  came  at  the  same 
moment  to  a  small  well  to  drink.  They  fiercely 
disputed  which  of  them  should  drink  first,  and  were 
soon  engaged  in  the  agonies  of  a  mortal  combat.  On 
their  stopping  on  a  sadden  to  take  breath  for  the 
fiercer  renewal  of  the  strife,  they  saw  some  Vultures 
waiting  in  the  distance  to  feast  on  the  one  which 
should  fall  first.  They  at  once  made  up  their  quar- 
rel, saying,  "  It  is  better  for  us  to  make  friends, 
than  to  become  the  food  of  Crows  or  Vultures." 


86  The   Fallen   of  JEsop. 

THE  MICE  AND    THE   WEASELS. 

THE  Weasels  and  the  Mice  waged  a  perpetual  war- 
fare with  each  other,  in  which  much  blood  was  shed. 
The  Weasels  were  always  the  victors.  The  Mice 
thought  that  the  cause  of  their  frequent  defeats 
was,  that  they  had  not  leaders  set  apart  from  the 
general  army  to  command  them,  and  that  they  were 
exposed  to  dangers  from  want  of  discipline.  They 
chose  therefore  such  mice  as  were  most  renowned 
for  their  family  descent,  strength,  and  counsel,  as 
well  as  most  noted  for  their  courage  in  the  fight, 
that  they  might  marshal  them  in  battle  array,  and 
form  them  into  troops,  regiments,  and  battalions. 
When  aU  this  was  done,  and  the  army  disciplined, 
and  the  herald  Mouse  had  duly  proclaimed  war  by 
challenging  the  Weasels,  the  newly  chosen  generals 
bound  their  heads  with  straws,  that  they  might  be 
more  conspicuous  to  all  their  troops.  Scarcely  had 
the  battle  commenced,  when  a  great  rout  over- 
whelmed the  Mice,  who  scampered  off  as  fast  as 
they  could  to  their  holes.  The  generals  not  being 
able  to  get  in  on  account  of  the  ornaments  on 
their  heads,  were  all  captured  and  eaten  by  the 
Weasels. 

The  more  honor  the  more  danger. 


THE   ONE  EYED  DOE. 

A  DOE,  blind  of  an  eye,  was  accustomed  to  graze  as 
near  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff  as  she  possibly  could,  in 
the  hope  of  securing  her  greater  safety.  She  turned 
her  sound  eye  towards  the  land,  that  she  might  get  the 
earliest  tidings  of  the  approach  of  hunter  or  hound ; 
and  her  injured  eye  towards  the  sea,  from  whence 
she  entertained  no  anticipation  of  danger.  Some 
boatmen  sailing  by,  saw  her,  and  taking  a  successful 
aim,  mortally  wounded  her.  Yielding  up  her  breath, 
she  gasped  forth  this  lament :  "  O  wretched  creature 
that  I  am !  to  take  such  precaution  against  the  land, 
and  after  all  to  find  this  sea-shore,  to  which  I  had 
come  for  safety,  so  much  more  perilous." 


88  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 


THE  SHEPHERD  AND   THE  SEA. 

A  SHEPHERD,  keeping  watch,  over  his  sheep  near  tlie 
shore,  saw  the  Sea  very  calm  and  smooth,  and  longed 
to  make  a  voyage  with  a  view  to  traffic.  He  sold  all 
his  nock,  and  invested  it  in  a  cargo  of  dates  and  set 
sail.  But  a  very  great  tempest  coming  on,  and  the 
ship  being  in  danger  of  sinking,  he  threw  all  his 
merchandise  overboard,  and  hardly  escaped  with  his 
life  in  the  empty  ship.  Not  long  afterwards,  on  some 
one  passing  by,  and  observing  the  unruffled  calm  of 
the  sea,  he  interrupted  him  and  said,  "  Belike  it  is 
again  in  want  of  dates,  and  therefore  looks  quiet." 


THE  ASS,  THE  COCK,  AND  THE  LION. 

AN  Ass  and  a  Cock  were  in  a  straw-yard  together, 
when  a  Lion,  desperate  from  hunger,  approached  the 
spot.  He  was  about  to  spring  upon  the  Ass,  when 
the  Cock  (to  the  sound  of  whose  voice  the  Lion,  it 
is  said,  has  a  singular  aversion)  crowed  loudly,  and 
the  Lion  fled  away  as  fast  as  he  could.  The  Ass 
observing  his  trepidation  at  the  mere  crowing  of  a 
Cock,  summoned  courage  to  attack  him,  and  gallop- 
ed after  him  for  that  pin-pose.  He  had  run  no  long 
distance,  when  the  Lion,  turning  about,  seized  him 
and  tore  him  to  pieces. 

False  confidence  often  leads  into  danger. 


THE  MILK-WOMAN  AND  HER  PAIL. 

A  FARMER'S  daughter  was  carrying  her  pail  of  rm'llc 
from  the  field  to  the  farm-house,  when  she  fell  a- 
musing.  "The  money  for  which  this  milk  will  be 
sold,  will  buy  at  least  three  hundred  eggs.  The  eggs, 
allowing  for  all  mishaps,  will  produce  two  hundred 
and  fifty  chickens.  The  chickens  will  become  ready 
for  the  market  when  poultry  will  fetch  the  highest 
price ;  so  that  by  the  end  of  the  year  I  shall  have 
money  enough  from  the  perquisites  that  will  fall  to 
my  share,  to  buy  a  new  gown.  In  this  dress  I  will  go 
to  the  Christmas  junketings,  when  all  the  young 
fellows  will  propose  to  me,  but  I  will  toss  my  head, 
and  ivi'use  them  every  one."  At  this  moment  she 


90  The   Fables   of 

tossed  her  head  in  unison  with  her  thoughts,  when 
down  fell  the  Milk-pail  to  the  ground,  and  all  her 
imaginary  schemes  perished  in  a  moment. 


THE  MICE  IN  COUNCIL. 

THE  Mice  summoned  a  council  to  decide  how  they 
might  best  devise  means  for  obtaining  notice  of  the 
approach  of  their  great  enemy  the  Cat.  Among  the 
many  plans  devised,  the  one  that  found  most  favor 
was  the  proposal  to  tie  a  bell  to  the  neck  of  the  Cat, 
that  the  Mice  being  warned  by  the  sound  of  the  tink- 
ling might  run  away  and  hide  themselves  in  their 
holes  at  his  approach.  But  when  the  Mice  further 
debated  who  among  them  should  thus  "bell  the 
Cat,"  there  was  no  one  found  to  do  it. 


THE  WOLF  AND  THE  HOUSE-DOG, 

A  WOLF,  meeting  with  a  big  well-fed  Mastiff  having 
a  wooden  collar  about  his  neck,  inquired  of  him  who 
it  Mas  that  fed  him  so  well,  and  yet  compelled  him 
to  drag  that  heavy  log  about  wherever  he  went.  "  The 
master,"  he  replied.  Then  said  the  Wolf :  "  May  no 
friend  of  mine  ever  be  in  such  a  plight ;  for  the  weight 
of  this  chain  is  enough  to  spoil  the  appetite." 


THE  RIVERS  AND  THE  SEA. 

THE  Rivers  joined  together  to  complain  to  the  Sea, 
saying,  "  Why  is  it  that  when  we  flow  into  your  tides 
so  potable  and  sweet,  you  work  in  us  such  a  change, 


92  The   Fables   of  2Esop. 

and  make  us  salt  and  unfit  to  drink?"  The  Sea, 
perceiving  that  they  intended  to  throw  the  blame 
on  him,  said,  "  Pray  cease  to  flow  into  me,  and  then 
you  will  not  be  made  briny." 

Some  find  fault  with  those  things  by  which  they 
are  chiefly  benefited. 


THE  WILD  BOAR  AND  THE  FOX. 
A  WILD  BOAR  stood  under  a  tree,  and  rubbed  his 
tusks  against  the  trunk.  A  Fox  passing  by,  asked 
him  why  he  thus  sharpened  his  teeth  when  there 
was  no  danger  threatening  from  either  huntsman  or 
hound.  He  replied,  "  I  do  it  advisedly ;  for  it  would 
never  do  to  have  to  sharpen  my  weapons  just  at  the 
time  I  ought  to  be  using  them." 

To  be  well  prepared  for  war  is  the  best  guarantee 
of  peace. 


THE  DOE  AND  THE  LION. 

A  DOE  hard  pressed  by  hunters  entered  a,  cave  for 
shelter  which  belonged  to  a  Lion.  The  Lion  con- 
cealed himself  on  seeing  her  approach;  but,  when 
she  was  safe  within  the  cave,  sprang  upon  her,  and 
tore  her  to  pieces.  "Woe  is  me,"  exclaimed  the 
Doe,  "who  have  escaped  from  man,  only  to  throw 
myself  into  the  mouth  of  a  wild  beast !  " 

In  avoiding  one  evil  care  must  be  taken  not  to  fall 
into  another. 


THE  ASS  CARRYING  THE  IMAGE. 

AN  Ass  once  carried  through  the  streets  of  a  city  a 
famous  wooden  Image,  to  be  placed  in  one  of  its 
Temples.  The  crowd  as  he  passed  along  made  lowly 
prostration  before  the  Image.  The  Ass,  thinking 
that  they  bowed  their  heads  in  token  of  respect  for 
himself,  bristled  up  with  pride  and  gave  himself 
airs,  and  refused  to  move  another  step.  The  driver 
seeing  him  thus  stop,  laid  his  whip  lustily  about 
his  shoulders,  and  said,  "  O  you  perverse  dull-head ! 
it  is  not  yet  come  to  this,  that  men  pay  worship 
to  an  Ass." 

They  are  not  wise   who   take   to   themselves   the 
credit  due  to  others. 


94  The   Fables  of  JEsop. 

THE  TWO  TRAVELERS  AND  THE  AX. 

Two  men  were  journeying  together  in  each  other's 
company.  One  of  them  picked  up  an  ax  that  lay 
upon  the  path,  and  said,  "  I  have  found  an  ax." 
"Nay,  my  friend,"  replied  the  other,  "do  not  say  'I,' 
but  '  We'  have  found  an  ax."  They  had  not  gone 
far  before  they  saw  the  owner  of  the  ax  pursuing 
them,  when  he  who  had  picked  up  the  ax  said,  "  We 
are  undone."  "  Nay,"  replied  the  other,  "  keep  to 
your  first  mode  of  speech,  my  friend ;  what  you 
thought  right  then,  think  right  now.  Say  '  I,'  not 
'  We'  are  undone." 

He  who  shares  the  danger  ought  to  share  the  prize. 


THE  OLD  LION. 

A  LION,  worn  out  with  years,  and  powerless  from 
disease,  lay  on  the  ground  at  the  point  of  death.  A 
Boar  rushed  upon  him,  and  avenged  with  a  stroke  of 
his  tusks  a  long-remembered  injury.  Shortly  after- 
wards the  Bull  with  his  horns  gored  him  as  if  he  were 
an  enemy.  When  the  Ass  saw  that  the  huge  beast 
could  be  assailed  with  impunity,  he  let  drive  at  his 
forehead  with  his  heels.  The  expiring  Lion  said,  "  I 
have  reluctantly  brooked  the  insults  of  the  brave,  but 
to  be  compelled  to  endure  contumely  from  thee,  a 
disgrace  to  Nature,  is  indeed  to  die  a  double  death." 


THE  OLD  HOUND. 

A  HOUND,  who  in  the  days  of  his  youth  and  strength 
had  never  yielded  to  any  beast  of  the  forest,  en- 
countered in  his  old  age  a  boar  in  tne  chase.  He 
seized  him  boldly  by  the  ear,  but  could  not  retain 
his  hold  because  of  the  decay  of  his  teeth,  so  that 
the  boar  escaped.  His  master,  quickly  coming  up, 
was  very  much  disappointed,  and  fiercely  abused  the 
dog.  The  Hound  looked  up,  and  said,  "  It  was  not 
my  fault,  master;  my  spirit  was  as  good  as  ever, 
but  I  could  not  help  mine  infirmities.  I  rather 
deserve  to  be  praised  for  what  I  have  been,  than  to 
be  blamed  for  what  I  am." 


96  The  Fables   of  JEsop 

THE  BEE  AND  JUPITER. 

A  BEE  from  Mount  Hymettus,  the  queen  of  the  hive, 
ascended  to  Olympus,  to  present  to  Jupiter  some 
honey  fresh  from  her  combs.  Jupiter,  delighted  with 
the  offering  of  honey,  promised  to  give  whatever  she 
should  ask.  She  therefore  besought  him,  saying, 
"  Give  me,  I  pray  thee,  a  sting,  that  if  any  mortal 
shall  approach  to  take  my  honey,  I  may  kill  him." 
Jupiter  was  much  displeased,  for  he  loved  much  the 
race  of  man ;  but  could  not  refuse  the  request  on 
account  of  his  promise.  He  thus  answered  the  Bee  : 
"  You  shall  have  your  request ;  but  it  will  be  at  the 
peril  of  your  own  life.  For  if  you  use  your  sting,  it 
shall  remain  in  the  wound  you  make,  and  then  you 
will  die  from  the  loss  of  it." 

Evil  wishes,  like  chickens,  come  home  to  roost. 


THE  MASTER  AND  HIS  DOGS. 
A  CERTAIN  man,  detained  by  a  storm  in  his  country 
house,  first  of  all  killed  his  sheep,  and  then  his  goats, 
for  the  maintenance  of  his  household.  The  storm 
still  continuing,  he  was  obliged  to  slaughter  his  yoke 
oxen  for  food.  On  seeing  this,  his  Dogs  took  coun- 
sel together,  and  said,  "  It  is  time  for  us  to  be  off : 
for  if  the  master  spare  not  his  oxen,  who  work  for 
his  gain,  how  can  we  expect  him  to  spare  us  ?  " 

He  is  not  to  be  trusted  as  a  friend  who  illtreats 
his  own  family. 


THE  WOLF  AND  THE  SHEPHERDS. 

A  WOLF  passing  by,  saw  some  Shepherds  in  a 
hut  eating  for  their  dinner  a  haunch  of  mutton. 
Approaching  them,  he  said,  "What  a  clamor  you 
would  raise,  if  I  were  to  do  as  you  are  doing ! " 


THE  SEASIDE  TRAVELERS. 

travelers,  journeying  along  the  sea-shore, 
climbed  to  the  summit  of  a  tall  cliff,  and  from  thence 
looking  over  the  sea,  saw  in  the  distance  what  they 
thought  was  a  large  ship,  and  waited  in  the  hope  of 
seeing  it  enter  the  harbor.  But  as  the  object  on 


98  T 'he   Fables   of 

which  they  looked  was  driven  by  the  wind  nearer 
to  the  shore,  they  found  that  it  could  at  the  most  be 
a  small  boat,  and  not  a  ship.  When,  however,  it 
reached  the  beach,  they  discovered  that  it  was  only 
a  large  fagot  of  sticks,  and  one  of  them  said  to 
his  companions,  "  We  have  waited  for  no  pur- 
pose, for  after  all  there  is  nothing  to  see  but  a 


Our  mere   anticipations   of  life   outruns  its  reali- 


THE  REAZIEE  AND  HIS  DOG. 

A  BEAZIEE  had  a  little  Dog,  which  was  a  great 
favorite  with  his  master,  and  his  constant  com- 
panion. While  he  hammered  away  at  his  metals 
the  Dog  slept ;  but  when,  on  the  other  hand,  he 
went  to  dinner,  and  began  to  eat,  the  Dog  woke 
up,  and  wagged  his  tail,  as  if  he  would  ask  for  a 
share  of  liis  meal.  His  master  one  day,  pretend- 
ing to  be  angry,  and  shaking  his  stick  at  him,  said, 
"You  wretched  little  sluggard!  what  shall  I  do  to 
you?  While  I  am  hammering  on  the  anvil,  you 
sleep  on  the  mat ;  and  when  I  begin  to  eat  after 
my  toil,  you  wake  up,  and  wag  your  tail  for  food. 
Do  you  not  know  that  labor  is  the  source  of  every 
blessing,  and  that  none  but  those  who  work  are 
entitled  to  eat  ?  " 


THE  ASS  AND  HIS  SHADOW. 

A  TRAVELER  hired  an  Ass  to  convey  him  to  a  distant 
place.  The  day  being  intensely  hot,  and  the  sun 
shining  in  its  strength,  the  traveler  stopped  to  rest, 
and  sought  shelter  from  the  heat  under  the  Shadow 
of  the  Ass.  As  this  afforded  only  protection  for  one, 
and  as  the  traveler  and  the  owner  of  the  Ass  both 
claimed  it,  a  violent  dispute  arose  between  them  as 
to  which  of  them  had  the  right  to  it.  The  owner 
maintained  that  he  had  let  the  Ass  only,  and  not 
his  Shadow.  The  traveler  asserted  that  he  had, 
with  the  hire  of  the  Ass,  hired  his  Shadow  also. 


100  The  Fables  of  ^Es op. 

The  quarrel  proceeded  from  words  to   blows,  and 
while  the  men  fought  the  Ass  galloped  off. 

In  quarrelling  about  the  shadow  we  often  lose  the 
substance. 


THE  ASS  AND  HIS  MASTERS. 

AN  Ass  belonging  to  an  herb-seller,  who  gave  him 
too  little  food  and  too  much  work,  made  a  petition 
to  Jupiter  that  he  would  release  him  from  his  pres- 
ent service,  and  provide  him  with  another  master. 
Jupiter,  after  warning  him  that  he  would  repent  his 
request,  caused  him  to  be  sold  to  a  tile-maker. 
Shortly  afterwards,  finding  that  he  had  heavier  loads 
to  carry,  and  harder  work  in  the  brick-field,  he  pe- 
titioned for  another  change  of  master.  Jupiter,  tell- 
ing him  that  it  should  be  the  last  time  that  he  could 
grant  his  request,  ordained  that  he  should  be  sold 
to  a  tanner.  The  Ass  finding  that  he  had  fallen  into 
worse  hands,  anvl  noting  his  master's  occupation, 
said,  groaning :  "  It  would  have  been  better  for  me 
to  have  been  either  starved  by  the  one,  or  to  have 
been  overworked  by  the  other  of  my  former  masters, 
than  to  have  been  bought  by  my  present  owner,  who 
will  even  after  I  am  dead  tan  my  hide,  and  make  me 
useful  to  him." 


THE  OAK  AND  THE  REEDS. 

A  VERY  large  Oak  was  uprooted  by  the  wind,  and 
thrown  across  a  stream.  It  fell  among  some  Heeds, 
which  it  thus  addressed:  "I  wonder  how  you,  who 
are  so  light  and  weak,  are  not  entirely  crushed  by 
these  strong  winds."  They  replied,  "You  fight  and 
contend  with  the  wind,  and  consequently  you  are 
destroyed;  while  we  on  the  contrary  bend  before 
the  least  breath  of  air,  and  therefore  remain  un- 
broken, and  escape." 
Stoop  to  conquer. 


102  The  Fables  of  ^B so  p. 

THE  LION  IN  A  FARM-YARD. 

A  LION  entered  a  farm-yard.  The  farmer,  wishing  to 
catch  him,  shut  the  gate.  The  Lion,  when  he  found 
that  he  could  not  escape,  flew  upon  the  sheep,  and 
killed  them,  and  then  attacked  the  oxen.  The  farmer, 
beginning  to  be  alarmed  for  his  own  safety,  opened 
the  gate,  when  the  Lion  got  off  as  fast  as  he  could. 
On  his  departure  the  farmer  grievously  lamented  the 
destruction  of  his  sheep  and  oxen ;  when  his  wife, 
who  had  been  a  spectator  of  all  that  took  place,  said, 
"  On  my  word,  you  are  rightly  served ;  for  how  could 
you  for  a  moment  think  of  shutting  up  a  Lion  along 
with  you  in  the  farm-yard,  when  you  know  that  you 
shake  in  your  shoes  if  you  only  hear  his  roar  at  ever 
so  great  a  distance?" 


TEE  HUNTER  AND    WOODMAN 

A  HUNTER,  not  very  bold,  was  searching  for  the 
tracks  of  a  Lion.  He  asked  a  man  felling  oaks  in 
the  forest  if  he  had  seen  any  marks  of  his  footsteps, 
or  if  he  knew  where  his  lair  was.  "  I  will,"  he  said, 
"  at  once  show  you  the  Lion  himself."  The  Hunter, 
turning  very  pale,  and  chattering  with  his  teeth  from 
fear,  replied,  "  No,  thank  you.  I  did  not  ask  that ; 
it.  is  his  track  only  I  am  in  search  of,  not  the  Lion 
himself." 

The  hero  is  brave  in  deeds  as  well  as  words. 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  WOOD-CUTTER. 

A  Fox  running  before  the  hounds,  came  across  a 
Wood-cutter  felling  an  oak,  and  besought  him  to 
show  him  a  safe  hiding-place.  The  Wood-cutter 
advised  him  to  take  shelter  in  his  own  hut.  The 
Fox  crept  in,  and  hid  himself  in  a  corner.  The 
huntsman  came  up,  with  his  hounds,  in  a  few  min- 
utes, and  inquired  of  the  Wood-cutter  if  he  had  seen 
the  Fox.  He  declared  that  he  had  not  seen  him,  and 
\  <  t  pointed,  all  the  time  he  was  speaking,  to  the  hut 
whore  the  Fox  lay  hid.  The  huntsman  took  no 
notice  of  the  signs,  but,  believing  his  word,  hastened 
forward  in  the  chase.  A*  soon  as  they  were  well 


104  The   Fables   of 

away,  the  Fox  departed  without  taking  any  notice 
of  the  Wood-cutter :  whereon  he  called  to  him,  and 
reproached  him,  saying,  "  You  ungrateful  fellow,  you 
owe  your  life  to  me,  and  yet  you  leave  me  without 
a  word  of  thanks."  The  Fox  replied,  "Indeed,  I 
should  have  thanked  you  fervently,  if  your  deeds  had 
been  as  good  as  your  words,  and  if  your  hands  had 
not  been  traitors  to  your  speech." 


THE    TWO   DOGS 

A  MAN  had  two  dogs ;  a  Hound,  trained  to  assist 
him  in  his  sports,  and  a  House-dog,  taught  to  watch 
the  house.  When  he  returned  home  after  a  good 
day's  sport,  he  always  gave  the  House-dog  a  large 
share  of  his  spoil.  The  Hound  feeling  much  ag- 
grieved at  this  reproached  his  companion,  saying, 
"It  is  very  hard  to  have  all  this  labor,  while  you, 
who  do  not  assist  in  the  chase,  luxuriate  on  the  fruits 
of  my  exertions."  The  House-dog  replied,  "Do  not 
blame  me,  my  friend,  but  find  fault  with  the  master, 
who  has  not  taught  me  to  labor,  but  to  depend  for 
subsistence  on  the  labor  of  others." 

Children  are  not  to  be  blamed  for  the  faults  of 
their  parents. 


THE  WOLF  AND  THE  LION. 

A  "WoLF  having  stolen  a  lamb  from  a  fold,  was 
carrying  him  off  to  his  lair.  A  Lion  met  him  in  the 
path,  and,  seizing  the  lamb,  took  it  from  him.  The 
Wolf,  standing  at  a  safe  distance,  exclaimed,  "You 
have  unrighteously  taken  that  which  was  mine  from 
me."  The  Lion  jeeringly  replied,  "It  was  right- 
eously yours,  eh  ?  the  gift  of  a  friend  ?  " 


THE  ANT  AND  THE  DOVE. 

Ax  Ant  went  to  the  bank  of  a  river  to  quench  its 
thirst,  and,  being  earned  away  by  the  rush  of  the 
stream,  AV.-IS  on  the  point  of  being  drowned.  A 


106  The   Fables  of  JBsop. 

Dove,  sitting  on  a  tree  overhanging  the  water, 
plucked  a  leaf,  and  let  it  fall  into  the  stream  close  to 
her.  The  Ant,  climbing  on  to  it,  floated  in  safety 
to  the  bank.  Shortly  afterwards  a  bird-catcher  came 
and  stood  under  the  tree,  and  laid  his  lime-twigs 
for  the  Dove,  which  sat  in  the  branches.  The  Ant, 
perceiving  his  design,  stung  him  in  the  foot.  He 
suddenly  threw  down  the  twigs,  and  thereupon  made 
the  Dove  take  wing. 

The  grateful  heart  will  always  find  opportunities 
to  show  its  gratitude. 


THE  MONKEY  AND  THE  FISHERMEN. 

A  MONKEY  perched  upon  a  lofty  tree  saw  some 
Fishermen  casting  their  nets  into  a  river,  and  narrow- 
ly watched  their  proceedings.  The  Fishermen  after 
a  while  gave  over  fishing,  and,  on  going  home  to 
dinner,  left  their  nets  upon  the  bank.  The  Monkey, 
who  is  the  most  imitative  of  animals,  descended  from 
the  tree-top,  and  endeavored  to  do  as  they  had  done. 
Having  handled  the  net,  he  threw  it  into  the  river, 
but  became  entangled  in  the  meshes.  When  drown- 
ing, he  said  to  himself,  "  I  am  rightly  served ;  for 
what  business  had  I  who  had  never  handled  a  net 
to  try  and  catch  fish?  " 


THE  HARES  AND   THE  FROGS. 

THE  Hares,  oppressed  with  a  sense  of  their  own 
exceeding  timidity,  and  weary  of  the  perpetual  alarm 
to  which  they  were  exposed,  with  one  accord  deter- 
mined to  put  an  end  to  themselves  and  their  troubles, 
l>y  jumping  from  a  lofty  precipice  into  a  deep  lake 
IK -low.  As  they  scampered  off  in  a  very  numerous 
body  to  cany  out  their  resolve,  the  Frogs  lying  on 
tin-  banks  of  the  lake  heard  the  noise  of  their  feet, 
and  rushed  helter-skelter  to  the  deep  water  for 
s.-itVty.  On  seeing  the  rapid  disappearance  of  the 
Progs,  one  of  the  Hares  cried  out  to  his  compan- 


108  The   Fables   of  JEnop. 

ions :  "  Stay,  my  friends,  clo  not  do  as  you  intend- 
ed; for  you  now  see  that  other  creatures  who  yet 
live  are  more  timorous  than  ourselves." 


THE  SWAN  AND  THE  GOOSE, 

A  CERTAIN  rich  man  bought  in  the  market  a  Goose 
and  a  Swan.  He  fed  the  one  for  his  table,  and 
kept  the  other  for  the  sake  of  its  song.  When  the 
time  came  for  killing  the  Goose,  the  cook  went  to 
take  him  at  night,  when  it  was  dark,  and  he  was 
not  able  to  distinguish  one  bird  from  the  other, 
and  he  caught  the  Swan  instead  of  the  Goose. 
The  Swan,  threatened  with  death,  burst  forth  into 
song,  and  thus  made  himself  known  by  his  voice, 
and  preserved  his  life  by  his  melody. 
A  word  in  season  is  most  precious. 


THE   OAKS  AND  JUPITEE. 

THE  Oaks  presented  a  complaint  to  Jupiter,  saying, 
"  We  bear  for  no  purpose  the  burden  of  life,  as  of  all 
the  trees  that  grow  we  are  the  most  continually  in 
peril  of  the  axe."  Jupiter  made  answer,  "  You  have 
only  to  thank  yourselves  for  the  misfortunes  to  which 
you  are  exposed :  for  if  you  did  not  make  such  excel- 
lent pillars  and  posts,  and  prove  yourselves  so  ser- 
viceable to  the  carpenters  and  the  farmers,  the  axe 
would  not  so  frequently  be  laid  to  your  roots." 


THE  FISHERMAN  AND  THE  LITTLE  FISH. 

A  FISHERMAN  who  lived  on  the  produce  of  his  nets, 
one  day  caught  a  single  small  fish  as  the  result  of 
his  day's  labor.  The  fish,  panting  convulsively,  thus 
entreated  for  his  life  :  "  O  Sir,  what  good  can  I  be  to 
you,  and  how  little  am  I  worth  ?  I  am  not  yet  come 
to  my  full  size.  Pray  spare  my  life,  and  put  me  back 
into  the  sea.  I  shall  soon  become  a  large  fish,  fit  for 
the  tables  of  the  rich ;  and  then  you  can  catch  me 
again,  and  make  a  handsome  profit  of  me."  The 
fisherman  replied,  "I  should  indeed  be  a  very  simple 
fellow,  if,  for  the  chance  of  a  greater  uncertain  profit, 
I  were  to  forego  my  present  certain  gain." 


110  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

MERCURY  AND   THE  SCULPTOR. 

MERCURY  once  determined  to  learn  in  what  esteem 
lie  was  held  among  mortals.  For  this  purpose  he 
assumed  the  character  of  a  man,  and  visited  in  this 
disguise  a  Sculptor's  studio.  Having  looked  at  vari- 
ous statues,  he  demanded  the  price  of  two  figures  of 
Jupiter  and  of  Juno.  When  the  sum  at  which  they 
were  valued  was  named,  he  pointed  to  a  figure  of 
himself,  saying  to  the  Sculptor,  "You.  will  certainly 
want  much  more  for  this,  as  it  is  the  statue  of  the 
Messenger  of  the  Gods,  and  the  author  of  all  your 
gain."  The  Sculptor  replied,  "  Well,  if  you  will  buy 
these,  I'll  fling  you  that  into  the  bargain." 


THE  8  WOOL  EN  FOX. 

A  Fox,  very  much  famished,  seeing  some  bread  and 
meat  left  by  shepherds  in  the  hollow  of  an  oak, 
crept  into  the  hole  and  made  a  hearty  meal.  When 
he  finished,  he  was  so  full  that  he  was  not  able  to 
get  out,  and  began  to  groan  and  lament  very  sadly. 
Another  Fox  passing  by,  heard  his  cries,  and  coming 
up,  inquired  the  cause  of  his  complaining.  On 
learning  what  had  happened,  he  said  to  him,  "Ah, 
you  will  have  to  remain  there,  my  friend,  until  you 
become  such  as  you  were  when  you  crept  in,  and 
then  you  will  easily  get  out." 


THE  CAMEL  AND  THE  ARAB. 
AN  Arab  Camel-driver  having  completed  the  lading 
of  his  Camel,  asked  him  which  he  would  like  best,  to 
go  up  hill  or  down  hill. ,  The  poor  beast  replied,  not 
without  a  touch  of  reason :  "  Why  do  you  ask  me  ? 
Is  it  that  the  level  way  through  the  desert  is  closed?" 


THE  MILLER,  HIS  SON,  AND  THEIR  ASS. 

A  MILLER  and  his  son  were  driving  their  Ass  to  a 
neighboring  fair  to  sell  him.  They  had  not  gone  far 
when  they  met  with  a  troop  of  women  collected  round 
a  well,  talking  and  laughing.  "Look  there,"  cried 
one  of  them,  "  did  you  ever  see  such  fellows,  to  be 
trudging  along  the  road  on  foot  when  they  might 
ride  ?  "  The  old  man  hearing  this,  quickly  made  his 
son  mount  the  Ass,  and  continued  to  walk  along  mer- 
rily by  his  side.  Presently  they  came  up  to  a  group 
of  old  men  in  earnest  debate.  "  There,"  said  one  of 
them,  "  it  proves  what  I  was  a-saying.  What  respect 
is  shown  to  old  age  in  these  days?  Do  yoii  stv  that 


112  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

idle  lad  riding,  while  his  old  father  has  to  walk  ?  Get 
down,  you  young  scapegrace,  and  let  the  old  man  rest 
his  weary  limbs."  Upon  this  the  old  man  made  his 
son  dismount,  and  got  up  himself.  In  this  manner 
they  had  not  proceeded  far  when  they  met  a  company 
of  women  and  children :  "Why,  you  lazy  old  fellow," 
cried  several  tongues  at  once,  "how  can  you  ride 
upon  the  beast,  wrhile  that  poor  little  lad  there  can 
hardly  keep  pace  by  the  side  of  you?"  The  good- 
natured  Miller  immediately  took  up  his  son  behind 
him.  They  had  now  almost  reached  the  town. 

"  Pray,  honest  friend,"  said  a  citizen,  "  is  that  Ass 
your  own?"  "Yes,"  says  the  old  man.  "  O,  one 
would  not  have  thought  so,"  said  the  other,  "  by  the 
way  you  load  him.  Why,  you  two  fellows  are  better 
able  to  cany  the  poor  beast  than  he  you."  "Any- 
thing to  please  you,"  said  the  old  man  ;  "  we  can  but 
try."  So,  alighting  with  his  son,  they  tied  the  legs 
of  the  Ass  together,  and  by  the  help  of  a  pole  en- 
deavored to  cany  him  on  their  shoulders  over  a 
bridge  near  the  entrance  of  the  town.  This  enter- 
taining sight  brought  the  people  in  crowds  to  laugh 
at  it.  The  Ass,  not  liking  the  noise,  nor  the  strange 
handling  that  he  was  subject  to,  broke  the  cords  that 
bound  him,  and,  tumbling  off  the  pole,  fell  into  the 
water.  Upon  this,  the  old  man,  vexed  and  ashamed, 
made  the  best  of  his  way  home  again,  convinced  that 
by  endeavoring  to  please  everybody  he  had  pleased 
nobody,  and  lost  his  Ass  into  the  bargain. 


THE  CAT  AND  THE  MICE. 

A  CERTAIN  house  was  overrun  with  Mice.  A  Cat, 
discovering  this,  made  her  way  into  it,  and  began  to 
catch  and  eat  them  one  by  one.  The  Mice  being 
continually  devoured,  kept  themselves  close  in  their 
holes.  The  Cat,  no  longer  able  to  get  at  them,  per- 
ceived that  she  must  tempt  them  forth  by  some  de- 
vice. For  this  purpose  she  jumped  upon  a  peg,  and 
suspending  herself  from  it,  pretended  to  be  dead. 
One  of  the  Mice,  peeping  stealthily  out,  saw  her,  and 
said,  "  Ah,  my  good  madam,  even  though  you  should 
turn  into  a  meal-bag,  we  will  not  come  near  you." 


114:  The   Fables  of 


THE  MOUSE  AND  TEE  BULL. 

A  BULL  was  bitten  by  a  Mouse,  and,  pained  by  the 
wound,  tried  to  capture  him.  The  Mouse  first 
reached  his  hole  in  safety,  and  the  Bull  dug  into 
the  walls  with  his  horns,  until  wearied,  crouching 
down,  he  slept  by  the  hole.  The  Mouse  peeping 
out,  crept  furtively  up  his  flank,  and,  again  biting 
him,  retreated  to  his  hole.  The  Bull  rising  up, 
and  not  knowing  what  to  do,  was  sadly  perplexed. 
The  Mouse  murmured  forth,  "  The  great  do  not 
always  prevail.  There  are  times  when  the  small 
and  lowly  are  the  strongest  to  do  mischief." 


THE   TWO   FROGS. 

Two  Frogs  dwelt  in  the  same  pool.  The  pool  being 
dried  up  under  the  summer's  heat,  they  left  it,  and 
set  out  together  for  another  home.  As  they  went 
along  they  chanced  to  pass  a  deep  well,  amply  sup- 
plied with  water,  on  seeing  which  one  of  the  Frogs 
said  to  the  other,  "Let  us  descend  and  make  our 
abode  in  this  well:  it  will  furnish  us  with  shelter 
and  food."  The  other  replied,  with  greater  caution, 
"  But  suppose  the  water  should  fail  us,  how  can  we 
get  out  again  from  so  great  a  depth  ?  " 

Do  nothing  without  a  regard  to  the  consequence. 


THE  DOG  AND  THE  COOK 

A  EICH  man  gave  a  great  feast,  to 
which  he  invited  many  friends  and 
acquaintances.     His  dog  availed 
himself  of  the  occasion  to  invite  a 
stranger  dog,  a  friend  of  his,  say- 
ing, "  My  master  gives  a  feast ;  you 
will  have  unusually  good  cheer; 
come  and  sup  with  me  to-night." 
The  Dog  thus  in- 
vited went  at  the 
hour     appointed, 
and     seeing     the 
preparations     for 
so  grand  an  enter- 
tainment, said,  in 
the  joy  of  his  heart 
"  How  glad  I  am 
that  I  came !  I  do 
not  often  get  such 
a  chance  as  this. 
I   will  take   care 
and    eat    enough 
to  last   me   both 
to-day    and    to- 


116  The   Fables   of 


morrow."  "While  he  thus  congratulated  himself,  and 
wagged  his  tail,  as  if  he  would  convey  a  sense  of  his 
pleasure  to  his  friend,  the  Cook  saw  him  moving 
about  among  his  dishes,  and,  seizing  him  by  his  fore 
and  hind  paws,  bundled  him  without  ceremony  out 
of  the  window.  He  fell  with  force  upon  the  ground, 
and  limped  away,  howling  dreadfully.  His  yelling 
soon  attracted  other  street  dogs,  who  came  up  to 
him,  and  inquired  how  he  had  enjoyed  his  supper. 
He  replied,  "Why,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  drank  so 
much  wine  that  I  remember  nothing.  I  do  not  know 
how  I  got  out  of  the  house." 

Uninvited  guests  seldom  meet  a  welcome. 


THE  THIEVES  AND  THE  COCK 

SOME  Thieves  broke  into  a  house,  and  found  nothing 
but  a  Cock,  whom  they  stole,  and  got  off  as  fast  as 
they  could.  On  arriving  at  home  they  proceeded  to 
kill  the  Cock,  who  thus  pleaded  for  his  life :  "  Pray 
spare  me ;  I  am  very  serviceable  to  men.  I  wake 
them  up  in  the  night  to  their  work."  "  That  is  the 
very  reason  why  we  must  the  more  kill  you,"  they 
replied ;  "  for  when  you  wake  your  neighbors,  you 
entirely  put  an  end  to  our  business." 

The  safeguards  of  virtue  are  hateful  to  the  evil- 
disposed. 


THE  LION,  THE  BEAR,  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  LION  and  a  Bear  seized  upon  a  kid  at  the  same 
moment,  and  fought  fiercely  for  its  possession.  When 
they  had  fearfully  lacerated  each  other,  and  were  faint 
from  the  long  combat,  they  lay  down  exhausted  with 
btigue.  A  Fox,  who  had  gone  round  them  at  a 
distance  several  times,  saw  them  both  stretched  on 
the  ground,  and  the  Kid  lying  untouched  in  the 
middle,  ran  in  between  them,  and  seizing  the  Kid 
scampered  off  as  fast  as  he  could.  The  Lion  and  the 
]><-ar  saw  him,  but  not  being  able  to  get  up,  said, 
"  Woe  betide  us,  that  we  should  have  fought  and  be- 
labored ourselves  only  to  serve  the  turn  of  a  Fox !  " 

It  sometimes  happens  that  one  man  has  all  the 
toil,  and  another  all  the  profit. 


118  The   Fables  of 


THE  PLAYFUL  ASS. 

AN  Ass  climbed  up  to  the  roof  of  a  building,  and, 
frisking  about  there,  broke  in  the  tiling.  The 
owner  went  up  after  him,  and  quickly  drove  him 
down,  beating  him  severely  with  a  thick  wooden 
cudgel.  The  Ass  said,  "Why,  I  saw  the  Monkey 
do  this  very  thing  yesterday,  and  you  all  laughed 
heartily,  as  if  it  afforded  you  very  great  amuse- 
ment." 

Those  who  do  not  know  their  right  place   must 
be  taught  it. 


THE  DANCING  MONKEYS. 

A  PRINCE  had  some  Monkeys  trained  to  dance. 
Being  naturally  great  mimics  of  men's  actions,  they 
showed  themselves  most  apt  pupils ;  and,  when  array- 
ed in  their  rich  clothes  and  masks,  they  danced  as 
well  as  any  of  the  courtiers.  The  spectacle  was  often 
repeated  with  great  applause,  till  on  one  occasion  a 
courtier,  bent  on  mischief,  took  from  his  pocket  a 
handful  of  nuts,  and  threw  them  upon  the  stage. 
The  Monkeys,  at  the  sight  of  the  nuts,  forgot  their 
dancing,  and  became  (as  indeed  they  were)  Monkeys 
instead  of  actors,  and,  pulling  off  their  masks  and 
tearing  their  robes,  they  fought  with  one  another  for 
the  nuts.  The  dancing  spectacle  thus  came  to  an 
end,  amidst  the  laughter  and  ridicule  of  the  audience. 


TEE  SEA-GULL  AND  THE  KITE. 

A  SEA-GULL  having  bolted  down  too  large  a  fish, 
burst  its  deep  gullet-bag,  and  lay  down  on  the  shore 
to  die.  A  Kite  seeing  him,  exclaimed :  "  You  richly 
deserve  your  fate;  for  a  bird  of  the  air  has  no 
business  to  seek  its  food  from  the  sea." 

Every   man   should  be  content  to  mind  his  own 
business. 


THE  PHILOSOPHER,   THE  ANTS,  AND 
MERCURY. 

A  PHILOSOPHER  witnessed  from  the  shore  the  ship- 
wreck of  a  vessel,  of  which  the  crew  and  passengers 
\\viv  all  drowned.  He  inveighed  against  the  in- 


120  The   Fables   of 

justice  of  Providence,  which  would  for  the  sake  of 
one  criminal,  perchance  sailing  in  the  ship,  allow 
so  many  innocent  persons  to  perish.  As  he  was 
indulging  in  these  reflections,  he  found  himself 
surrounded  by  a  whole  army  of  Ants,  near  to 
whose  nest  he  was  standing.  One  of  them  climbed 
up  and  stung  him,  and  he  immediately  trampled 
them  all  to  death  with  his  foot.  Mercury  presented 
himself,  and  striking  the  Philosopher  with  his 
wand,  said,  "And  are  you  indeed  to  make  yourself 
a  judge  of  the  dealings  of  Providence,  who  hast 
thyself  in  a  similar  manner  treated  these  poor 
Ants?" 


THE  TRAVELER  AND  FORTUNE. 

A  TRAVELEK,  wearied  with  a  long  journey,  lay 
down  overcome  with  fatigue  on  the  very  brink  of 
a  deep  well.  Being  within  an  inch  of  falling  into 
the  water,  Dame  Fortune,  it  is  said,  appeared  to 
him,  and  waking  him  from  his  slumber,  thus 
addressed  him :  "  Good  Sir,  pray  wake  up :  for  had 
you  fallen  into  the  well,  the  blame  will  be  thrown 
on  me,  and  I  shall  get  an  ill  name  among  mortals ; 
for  I  find  that  men  are  sure  to  impute  their 
calamities  to  me,  however  much  by  their  own  folly 
they  have  really  brought  them  on  themselves." 

Every  one  is  more   or  less  master   of    his    own 
fate. 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  LEOPARD. 

THE  Fox  and  the  Leopard  disputed  which  was  the 
more  beautiful  of  the  two.  The  Leopard  exhibited 
one  by  one  the  various  spots  which  decorated  his 
skin.  The  Fox,  interrupting  him,  said,  "And  how 
much  more  beautiful  than  you  am  I,  who  am 
decorated,  not  in  body,  but  in  mind." 


THE  LION  AND  THE  HARE. 

A  LION  came  across  a  Hare,  who  was  fast  asleep 
on  her  form.  He  was  just  in  the  act  of  seizing 
her,  when  a  fine  young  Hart  trotted  by,  and  he 
left  the  Hare  to  follow  him.  The  Hare,  scared  by 
the  noise,  awoke,  and  scudded  away.  The  Lion 
was  not  able  after  a  long  chase  to  catch  the  Hart, 
and  returned  to  feed  upon  the  Hare.  On  finding 
that  the  Hare  also  had  run  off,  he  said,  "I  am 
rightly  served,  for  having  let  go  the  food  that  I 
had  in  my  hand  for  the  chance  of  obtaining  more." 


122  The   Fables  of 


THE  PEASANT  AND  THE  EAGLE. 

A  PEASANT  found  an  Eagle  captured  in  a  trap,  and, 
much  admiring  the  bird,  set  him  free.  The  Eagle  did 
not  prove  ungrateful  to  his  deliverer,  for  seeing  him 
sit  under  a  wall,  which  was  not  safe,  he  flew  towards 
him,  and  snatched  off  with  his  talons  a  bundle  resting 
on  his  head,  and  on  his  rising  to  pursue  him  he  let 
the  bundle  fall  again.  The  Peasant  taking  it  up,  and 
returning  to  the  same  place,  found  the  wall  under 
which  he  had  been  sitting  fallen  to  the  ground  ;  and 
he  much  marvelled  at  the  requital  made  him  by  the 
Eagle  for  the  service  he  had  rendered  him. 


THE  IMAGE -OF  MERCURY  AND  THE 
CARPENTER. 

A  VERY  poor  man,  a  Carpenter  by  trade,  had  a 
wooden  image  of  Mercury,  before  which  he  made 
offerings  day  by  day,  and  entreated  the  idol  to  make 
him  rich :  but  in  spite  of  his  entreaties  he  became 
poorer  and  poorer.  At  last,  being  very  wroth,  he 
took  his  image  down  from  its  pedestal,  and  dashed  it 
against  the  wall :  when  its  head  being  knocked  off, 
out  came  a  stream  of  gold,  which  the  Carpenter 
quickly  picked  up,  and  said,  "  Well,  I  think  thou  art 
altogether  contradictory  and  unreasonable ;  for  when 
I  paid  you  honor,  I  reaped  no  benefits :  but  now 
that  I  maltreat  you  I  am  loaded  with  an  abundance 
of  riches." 


THE  BULL  AND  THE  GOAT. 

A  BULL,  escaping  from  a  Lion,  entered  a  cave, 
which  some  shepherds  had  lately  occupied.  A 
Hr-gosit  was  left  in  it,  who  sharply  attacked  him 
with  his  horns.  The  Bull  quietly  addressed  him — 
"  Butt  away  as  much  as  you  will.  I  have  no  fear 
<>t'  you,  but  of  the  Lion.  Let  that  monster  once 
go,  and  I  will  soon  let  you  know  what  is  the 
respective  strength  of  a  Goat  and  a  Bull." 

It   shows   an    evil   disposition  to   take   advantage 
of  a  Mend  in  distress. 


124  The   Fables   of 


THE  LAMP. 

A  LAMP  soaked  with  too  much  oil,  and  flaring 
very  much,  boasted  that  it  gave  more  light  than 
the  sun.  A  sudden  puff  of  wind  arising,  it  was 
immediately  extinguished.  Its  owner  lit  it  again, 
and  said,  "Boast  no  more,  but  henceforth  be 
content  to  give  thy  light  in  silence.  Know  that 
not  even  the  stars  need  to  be  relit." 


THE  LION,  THE  FOX,  AND  THE  ASS. 

THE  Lion,  the  Fox,  and  the  Ass  entered  into  an 
agreement  to  assist  each  other  in  the  chase.  Having 
secured  a  large  booty,  the  Lion,  on  their  return  from 
the  forest,  asked  the  Ass  to  allot  his  due  portion  to 
each  of  the  three  partners  in  the  treaty.  The  Ass 
carefully  divided  the  spoil  into  three  equal  shares, 
and  modestly  requested  the  two  others  to  make  the 
first  choice.  The  Lion,  bursting  out  into  a  great 
rage,  devoured  the  Ass.  Then  he  requested  the  Fox 
to  do  him  the  favor  to  make  a  division.  The  Fox 
accumulated  all  that  they  had  kiUed  into  one  large 
heap,  and  left  to  himself  the  smallest  possible 
morsel.  The  Lion  said,  "Who  has  taught  you, 
my  very  excellent  fellow,  the  art  of  division?  You 
are  perfect  to  a  fraction."  He  replied,  "I  learnt 
it  from  the  Ass,  by  witnessing  his  fate." 

Happy  is  the  man  who  learns  from  the   misfor- 
tunes of  others. 


THE  BALD  KNIGHT. 

A  BALD  Knight,  who  wore  a  wig,  went  out  to  hunt. 
A  sudden  puff  of  wind  blew  off  his  hat  and  wig,  at 
which  a  loud  laugh  rang  forth  from  his  companions. 
He  pulled  up  his  horse,  and  with  great  glee  joined 
in  the  joke  by  saying,  "What  marvel  that  hairs 
which  are  not  mine  should  fly  from  me,  when  they 
have  forsaken  even  the  man  that  owns  them:  with 
whom,  too,  they  were  born !  " 


THE  SHEPHERD  AND  THE  DOG. 
A  SHEPHERD  penning  his  sheep  in  the  fold  for  the 
niglit  was  about  to  shut  up  a  wolf  with  them,  when 
his  Dog  perceiving  the  wolf,  said,  "  Master,  how  can 
you  expect  the  sheep  to  be  safe  if  you  admit  a  wolf 
into  the  fold?" 


126  The  Fables  of  jE 


THE  MONKEYS  AND  THEIR  MOTHER. 

THE  Monkey,  it  is  said,  lias  two  young  ones  at  a 
birth.  The  mother  fondles  one,  and  nurtures  it 
with  the  greatest  affection  and  care;  but  hates  and 
neglects  the  other.  It  happened  once  on  a  time 
that  the  young  one  which  was  caressed  and  loved 
was  smothered  by  the  too  great  affection  of  the 
mother,  while  the  despised  one  was  nurtured  and 
reared  in  spite  of  the  neglect  to  which  it  was 
exposed. 

The  best  intentions  will  not  always  insure  success. 


THE  THREE  TRADESMEN. 

A  GREAT  city  was  beseiged,  and  its  inhabitants  were 
called  together  to  consider  the  best  means  of  pro- 
tecting it  from  the  enemy.  A  bricklayer  present 
earnestly  recommended  bricks,  as  affording  the  best 
materials  for  an  effectual  resistance.  A  Carpenter 
with  equal  energy  proposed  timber,  as  providing  a 
preferable  method  of  defence.  Upon  which  a  Cur- 
rier stood  up,  and  said,  "  Sirs,  I  differ  from  you 
altogether:  there  is  no  material  for  resistance 
equal  to  a  covering  of  hides;  and  nothing  so  good 
as  leather." 

Every  man  for  himself. 


THE  HARE  AND  THE  HOUND. 

A  HOUND  having  started  a  Hare  from  his  form, 
after  a  long  run,  gave  up  the  chase.  A  Goat-herd 
seeing  him  stop,  mocked  him,  saying,  "  The  little 
one  is  the  best  runner  of  the  two."  The  Hound 
replied,  "  You  do  not  see  the  difference  between  us : 
I  was  only  running  for  a  dinner,  but  he,  for  his  life." 


THE  OAK  AND  THE  WOODCUTTERS. 

THE  Woodcutters  cut  down  a  Mountain  Oak,  split 
it  in  pieces,  making  wedges  of  its  own  branches 
for  dividing  the  trunk,  and  for  saving  their  labor. 
The  Oak  said  with  a  sigh,  "I  do  not  care  about 


128  The    Fables   of 

the  blows  of  the  axe  aimed  at  my  roots,  but  I  do 
grieve  at  being  torn  in  pieces  by  these  wedges 
made  from  my  own  branches." 

Misfortunes    springing    from    ourselves    are    the 
hardest  to  bear. 


THE  WASP  AND  THE  SNAKE. 

A  WASP  seated  himself  upon  the  head  of  a  Snake, 
and  striking  him  unceasingly  with  his  stings  wounded 
him  to  death.  The  Snake,  being  in  great  torment, 
and  not  knowing  how  to  rid  himself  of  his  enemy, 
or  to  scare  him  away,  saw  a  wagon  heavily  laden 
with  wood,  and  went  and  purposely  placed  his  head 
under  the  wheels,  and  said,  "I  and  my  enemy  shall 
thus  perish  together." 


THE  PEACOCK  AND  THE  CRANE. 

A  PEACOCK  spreading  its  gorgeous  tail  mocked  a 
Crane  that  passed  by,  ridiculing  the  ashen  hue  of  its 
plumage,  and  saying,  "I  am  robed,  like  a  king,  in 
gold  and  purple,  and  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow ; 
while  you  have  not  a  bit  of  color  on  your  wings." 
"  True,"  replied  the  Crane ;  "  but  I  soar  to  the 
heights  of  heaven,  and  lift  up  my  voice  to  the  stars, 
while  you  walk  below,  like  a  cock,  among  the  birds 
of  the  dunghill." 

Fine  feathers  don't  make  fine  birds. 


THE  HEN  AND  THE  GOLDEN  EGGS. 

A  COTTAGER  and  his  wife  had  a  Hen,  which  laid 
every  day  a  golden  egg.  They  supposed  that  it 
must  contain  a  great  lump  of  gold  in  its  inside, 
and  killed  it  in  order  that  they  might  get  it,  when 
to  their  surprise  they  found  that  the  Hen  differed 
in  no  respect  from  their  other  hens.  The  foolish 
pair,  thus  hoping  to  become  rich  all  at  once,  de- 
prived themselves  of  the  gain  of  which  they  were 
day  by  day  assured. 


130  The   Fables  of 


THE  ASS  AND  THE  FROGS. 

AN  Ass,  carrying  a  load  of  wood,  passed  through  a 
pond.  As  he  was  crossing  through  the  water  he  lost 
his  footing,  and  stumbled  and  fell,  and  not  being  able 
to  rise  on  account  of  his  load,  he  groaned  heavily. 
Some  Frogs  frequenting  the  pool  heard  his  lamen- 
tation, and  said,  "  What  would  you  do  if  you  had  to 
live  here  always  as  we  do,  when  you  make  such  a 
fuss  about  a  mere  fall  into  the  water?  " 

Men  often  bear  little  grievances  with  less  courage 
than  they  do  large  misfortunes. 


THE  CROW  AND  RAVEN 

A  CEOW  was  very  jealous  of  the  Haven,  because 
lie  was  considered  a  bird  of  good  omen,  and  always 
attracted  the  attention  of  men,  as  indicating  by  his 
flight  the  good  or  evil  course  of  future  events.  See- 
ing some  travelers  approaching,  she  flew  up  into  a 
tree,  and  perching  herself  on  one  of  the  branches, 
cawed  as  loudly  as  she  could.  The  travelers  turned 
towards  the  sound,  and  wondered  what  it  boded, 
when  one  of  them  said  to  his  companion,  "Let  us 
proceed  on  our  journey,  my  friend,  for  it  is  only  the 
caw  of  a  crow,  and  her  cry,  you  know,  is  no  omen." 

Those  who   assume  a  character  which   does  not 
belong  to  them,  only  make  themselves  ridiculous. 


THE   TREES  AND  THE  AXE. 

A  MAN  came  into  a  forest,  and  made  a  petition  to 
the  Trees,  to  provide  him  a  handle  for  his  axe.  The 
Trees  consented  to  his  request,  and  gave  him  a  young 
ash-tree.  No  sooner  had  the  man  fitted  from  it  a 
new  handle  to  his  axe,  than  he  began  to  use  it,  and 
quickly  felled  with  his  strokes  the  noblest  giants  of 
the  forest.  An  old  oak,  lamenting  when  too  late 
the  destruction  of  his  companions,  said  to  a  neigh- 
boring cedar,  "  The  first  step  has  lost  iis  all.  If  we 
had  not  given  up  the  rights  of  the  ash,  we  might 
yet  have  retained  our  own  privileges,  and  have  stood 
for  ages." 


132  The   Fables   of  jEsop. 


THE  BULL,  THE  LIONESS,  AND  THE 
WILD-BO  AE  HUNTER. 

A  BULL  finding  a  lion's  cub  asleep,  gored  him  to 
death  with  his  horns.  The  Lioness  came  up,  and 
bitterly  lamented  the  death  of  her  whelp.  A  Wild- 
boar  Hunter  seeing  her  distress,  stood  afar  off,  and 
said  to  her,  "Think  how  many  men  there  are  who 
have  reason  to  lament  the  loss  of  their  children, 
whose  deaths  have  been  caused  by  you." 


THE  WOLVES  AND  THE  SHEEP-DOGS. 

THE  "Wolves  thus  addressed  the  Sheep-dogs :  "  Why 
should  you,  who  are  like  us  in  so  many  things,  not 
be  entirely  of  one  mind  with  us,  and  live  with  us  as 
brothers  should?  We  differ  from  you  in  one  point 
only  We  live  in  freedom,  but  you  bow  down  to,  and 
slave  for,  men;  who,  in  return  for  your  services, 
flog  you  with  whips,  and  put  collars  on  your  necks. 
They  make  you  also  guard  their  sheep,  and  while 
they  eat  the  mutton  throw  only  the  bones  to  you. 
If  you  will  be  persuaded  by  us,  you  will  give  us  the 
sheep,  and  we  will  enjoy  them  in  common,  till  we 
all  are  surfeited."  The  Dogs  listened  favorably 
to  these  proposals,  and,  entering  the  den  of  the 
Wolves,  they  were  set  upon  and  torn  to  pieces. 


i 


THE  BOWMAN  AND  LION. 

A  TERT  skillful  Bowman  went  to  the  mountains  in 
search  of  game.  All  the  beasts  of  the  forest  fled  at 
his  approach.  The  Lion  alone  challenged  him  to 
combat.  The  Bowman  immediately  let  fly  an  arrow, 
and  said  to  the  Lion  :  "  I  send  thee  my  messenger, 
that  from  him  thou  mayest  learn  what  I  myself  shall 
be  when  I  assail  thee."  The  Lion,  thus  wounded, 
rushed  away  in  great  fear,  and  on  a  Fox  exhorting 
him  to  be  of  good  courage,  and  not  to  run.  away 
at  the  first  attack,  he  replied:  "You  counsel  me  in 


134  The   Fables   of  ^8  op. 

vain;   for  if  he  sends  so  fearful  a  messenger,  how 
shall  I  abide  the  attack  of  the  man  himself?" 

A   man   who   can   strike  from   a  distance    is   no 
pleasant  neighbor. 


THE  CAMEL. 

WHEN  man  first  saw  the  Camel,  he  was  so  fright- 
ened at  his  vast  size  that  he  fled  away.  After  a 
time,  perceiving  the  meekness  and  gentleness  of 
his  temper,  he  summoned  courage  enough  to  ap- 
proach him.  Soon  afterwards,  observing  that  he 
was  an  animal  altogether  deficient  in  spirit,  he 
assumed  such  boldness  as  to  put  a  bridle  in  his 
mouth,  and  to  set  a  child  to  drive  Inn). 
Use  serves  to  overcome  dread. 


THE  CRAB  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  CEAB,  forsaking  the  sea-shore,  chose  a  neighbor- 
ing green  meadow  as  its  feeding  ground.  A  Fox 
came  across  him,  and  being  very  much  famished 
ate  him  up.  Just  as  he  was  on  the  point  of  being 
eaten,  he  said,  "I  well  deserve  my  fate;  for  what 
business  had  I  on  the  land,  when  by  my  nature 
and  habits  I  am  only  adapted  for  the  sea?" 

Contentment  with  our  lot  is  an  element  of  hap- 
piness. 


THE  WOMAN  AND  HER  HEN. 

A  WOMAN  possessed  a  Hen  that  gave  her  an  egg 
every  day.  She  often  thought  with  herself  how  she 
might  obtain  two  eggs  daily  instead  of  one,  and  at 
last,  to  gain  her  purpose,  determined  to  give  the 
Hen  a  double  allowance  of  barley.  From  that  day 
the  Hen  became  fat  and  sleek,  and  never  once  laid 
another  egg. 

Covetousness  overreacheth  itself. 


THE  ASS  AND  THE  OLD  SHEPHERD. 
A  SHEPHERD  watched  his  Ass  feeding  in  a  meadow. 
Being   alarmed   on   a   sudden    by  the   cries   of    the 


136  The   Fables   of 

enemy,  he  appealed  to  the  Ass  to  fly  with  him,  lest 
they  should  both  be  captured.  He  lazily  replied, 
""Why  should  I,  pray?  Do  you  think  it  likely  the 
conquerer  will  place  on  me  two  sets  of  panniers?" 
"No,"  rejoined  the  Shepherd.  "Then,"  said  the 
Ass,  "  as  long  as  I  cany  the  panniers,  what  matters 
it  to  me  whom  I  serve  ?  " 

In    a    change    of    government    the    poor    change 
nothing  beyond  the  name  of  their  master. 


THE  STAG,  THE  WOLF,  AND  THE  SHEEP. 

A  STAG  asked  a  Sheep  to  lend  him  a  measure  of 
wheat,  and  said  that  the  Wolf  would  be  his  surety. 
The  Sheep,  fearing  some  fraud  was  intended,  excused 
herself,  saying,  "The  Wolf  is  accustomed  to  seize 
what  he  wants,  and  to  run  off;  and  you,  too,  can 
quickly  outstrip  me  in  your  rapid  flight.  How  then 
shall  I  be  able  to  find  you,  when  the  day  of  pay- 
ment comes?" 

Two  blacks  do  not  make  one  white. 


THE  HARES  AND  THE  FOXES. 

THE  Hares  waged  war  with  the  Eagles,  and  called 
upon  the  Foxes  to  help  them.  They  replied,  "We 
would  willingly  have  helped  you,  if  we  had  not 
known  who  ye  were,  and  with  whom  ye  were  fight- 
ing." 

Count  the  cost  before  you  commit  yourselves. 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  HEDGE-HOG 

A  Fox  swimming  across  a  rapid  river  was  carried  by 
the  force  of  the  current  into  a  very  deep  ravine,  where 
he  lay  for  a  long  time  very  much  bruised  and  sick,  and 
unable  to  move.  A  swarm  of  hungry  blood-sucking 
flies  settled  upon  him.  A  Hedge-hog  passing  by 
compassionated  his  sufferings,  and  inquired  if  he 
should  drive  away  the  flies  that  were  tormenting  him. 
"  By  no  means,"  replied  the  Fox ;  "  pray  do  not  molest 
them."  "How  is  this?"  said  the  Hedge-hog;  "do  you 
not  want  to  be  rid  of  them  ?  "  "  No,"  returned  the  Fox ; 
"  for  these  flies  which  you  see  are  full  of  blood,  and 
sting  me  but  little,  and  if  you  rid  me  of  these  which 
are  already  satiated,  others  more  hungry  will  come  in 
theirplace,  and  will  drink  up  all  the  blood  I  have  left." 


138  T 'he  Fables  of  & sop 

THE  DOG  AND  THE  HARE. 

A  HOUND  having  started  a  Hare  on  the  hill-side 
pursued  her  for  some  distance  :  at  one  time  biting  her 
with  his  teeth  as  if  he  would  take  her  life,  and  at 
another  time  fawning  upon  her,  as  if  in  play  with 
another  dog.  The  Hare  said  to  him,  "I  -wish  you 
would  act  sincerely  by  me,  and  show  yourself  in  your 
true  colors.  If  you  are  a  friend,  why  do  you  bite  me 
so  hard  ?  if  an  enemy,  why  do  you  fawn  on  me  ?  " 

They  are  no  friends  whom  you  know  not  whether 
to  trust  or  to  distrust. 


THE  KITES  AND  THE  SWANS. 
THE  Kites  of  old  time  had,  equally  with  the  Swans, 
the  privilege  of  song.  But  having  heard  the  neigh 
of  the  horse,  they  were  so  enchanted  with  the  sound, 
that  they  tried  to  imitate  it ;  and,  in  trying  to  neigh, 
they  forgot  how  to  sing. 

The  desire  for  imaginary  benefits   often  involves 
the  loss  of  present  blessings. 


THE  BULL  AND  THE  CALF. 

A  BULL  was  striving  with  all  his  might  to  squeeze 
himself  through  a  narrow  passage  which  led  to  his 
stall.  A  young  Calf  came  up,  and  offered  to  go  before 
and  show  him  the  way  by  which  he  could  manage  to 
pass.  "  Save  yourself  the  trouble,"  said  the  Bull  ; 
"  I  knew  that  way  long  before  you  were  born." 


THE  MULE. 

A  MULE,  frolicsome  from  want  of  work  and  from 
overmuch  corn,  galloped  about  in  a  very  extrava- 
gant manner,  and  said  to  himself :  "  My  father 
surely  was  a  high-mettled  racer,  and  I  am  his  own 
child  in  speed  and  spirit."  On  the  next  day,  being 
driven  a  long  journey,  and  feeling  very  wearied,  he 
exclaimed  in  a  disconsolate  tone :  "  I  must  have 
made  a  mistake ;  my  father,  after  all,  could  have 
been  only  an  ass." 


THE  EAGLE,   THE  CAT,  AND  THE  WILD  SOW. 

AN  Eagle  had  made  her  nest  at  the  top  of  a  lofty 
oak.     A  Cat,  having  found  a  convenient  hole,  kit- 


140  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

tened  in  the  middle  of  the  trunk ;  and  a  Wild-Sow, 
with  her  young,  had  taken  shelter  in  a  hollow  at 
its  foot.  The  Cat  resolved  to  destroy  by  her  arts 
this  chance-made  colony.  To  cany  out  her  design, 
she  climbed  to  the  nest  of  the  Eagle,  and  said, 
"Destruction  is  preparing  for  you,  and  for  me  too, 
unfortunately.  The  Wild  Sow,  whom  you  may  see 
daily  digging  up  the  earth,  wishes  to  uproot  the 
oak,  that  she  may  on  its  fall  seize  our  families  as 
food  for  her  young."  Having  thus  deprived  the 
Eagle  of  her  senses  through  terror,  she  crept  down 
to  the  cave  of  the  Sow,  and  said,  "Your  children 
are  in  great  danger;  for  as  soon  as  you  shall  go 
out  with  your  litter  to  find  food,  the  Eagle  is  pre- 
pared to  pounce  upon  one  of  your  little  pigs." 
Having  instilled  these  fears  into  the  Sow,  she  went 
and  pretended  to  hide  herself  in  the  hollow  of  the 
tree.  When  night  came  she  went  forth  with  silent 
foot  and  obtained  food  for  herself  and  her  kittens; 
but,  feigning  to  be  afraid,  she  kept  a  look-out  all 
through  the  day.  Meanwhile,  the  Eagle,  full  of. 
fear  of  the  Sow,  sat  still  on  the  branches,  and  the 
Sow,  terrified  by  the  Eagle,  did  not  dare  to  go  out 
from  her  cave;  and  thus  they  each,  with  their 
families,  perished  from  hunger,  and  afforded  an 
ample  provision  to  the  Cat  and  her  kittens. 


TEE  CROW  AND  THE  PITCHER. 

A  CROW  perishing  with  thirst  saw  a  pitcher,  and, 
hoping  to  find  water,  flew  to  it  with  great  delight. 
When  he  reached  it,  he  discovered  to  his  grief 
that  it  contained  so  little  water  that  he  could  not 
possibly  get  at  it.  He  tried  everything  he  could 
think  of  to  reach  the  water,  but  all  his  efforts 
were  in  vain.  At  last  he  collected  as  many  stones 
as  he  could  carry,  and  dropped  them  one  by  one 
with  his  beak  into  the  pitcher,  until  he  brought 
the  water  within  his  reach,  and  thus  saved  his 
life. 

Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention. 


142  The    Fables   of 


THE  WOLF  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  VEEY  large  and  strong  Wolf  was  bom  among 
the  wolves,  who  exceeded  all  his  fellow  wolves  in 
strength,  size,  and  swiftness,  so  that  they  gave  him, 
with  unanimous  consent,  the  name  of  "  Lion."  The 
Wolf,  with  a  want  of  sense  proportioned  to  his 
enormous  size,  thought  that  they  gave  him  this 
name  in  earnest,  and,  leaving  his  own  race,  con- 
sorted exclusively  with  the  lions.  An  old  sly  Fox, 
seeing  this,  said,  "May  I  never  make  myself  so 
ridiculous  as  you  do  in  your  pride  and  self-conceit ; 
for  you  really  show  like  a  lion  among  wolves, 
whereas  in  a  herd  of  lions  you  are  a  wolf." 


THE  PROPHET. 

A  WIZAKD,  sitting  in  the  market-place,  told,  the 
fortunes  of  the  passers-by.  A  person  ran  up  in 
great  haste,  and  announced  to  him  that  the  doors 
of  his  house  had  been  broken  open,  and  that  all 
his  goods  were  being  stolen.  He  sighed  heavily, 
and  hastened  away  as  fast  as  he  could  run.  A 
neighbor  saw  him  running,  and  said,  "  Oh !  you 
fellow  there!  you  say  you  can  fortell  the  fortunes 
of  others ;  how  is  it  you  did  not  foresee  your 
own?" 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  GRAPES. 
A  FAMISHED  Fox  saw  some 
clusters  of  ripe  black  Grapes 
hanging  from  a  trellised  vine. 
She  resorted  to  all  her  tricks 
to  get  at  them,  but  wearied 
herself  in  vain,  for  she  could 
not  reach  them.  At  last  she 


turned  away,  beguiling  herself  of  her  disappoint- 
ment and  saying:  "The  Grapes  are  sour,  and  not 
ripe  as  I  thought." 


144  The   Fables   of 


THE  SERPENT  AND  THE  EAGLE 

A  SERPENT  and  an  Eagle  were  struggling  with  each 
other  in  the  throes  of  a  deadly  conflict.  The  Ser- 
pent had  the  advantage,  and  was  about  to  strangle 
the  bird.  A  countryman  saw  them,  and  running  up, 
loosed  the  coil  of  the  Serpent,  and  let  the  Eagle  go 
free.  The  Serpent,  irritated  at  the  escape  of  his 
prey,  let  fly  his  poison,  and  injected  it  into  the  drink- 
ing horn  of  the  countryman.  The  rustic,  ignorant 
of  his  danger,  was  about  to  drink,  when  the  Eagle 
struck  his  hand  with  his  wing,  and,  seizing  the 
drinking  horn  in  his  talons,  earned  it  up  aloft. 


THE  TWO  FROGS. 

Two  Frogs  were  neighbors.  The  one  inhabited  a 
deep  pond,  far  removed  from  public  view ;  the  other 
lived  in  a  gully  containing  little  water,  and  traversed 
by  a  country  road.  He  that  lived  in  the  pond  warned 
his  friend,  and  entreated  him  to  change  his  residence, 
and  to  come  and  live  with  him,  saying  that  he  would 
enjoy  greater  safety  from  danger  and  more  abundant 
food.  The  other  refused,  saying  that  he  felt  it  so 
very  hard  to  remove  from  a  place  to  which  he  had 
become  accustomed.  A  few  days  afterwards  a  heavy 
wagon  passed  through  the  gully,  and  crushed  him 
to  death  under  its  wheels. 

A  wilful  man  will  have  his  way  to  his  own  hurt. 


THE  HART  AND  THE  VINE. 

A  HART,  hard  pressed  in  the  chase,  hid  himself 
beneath  the  large  leaves  of  a  Yine.  The  huntsmen, 
in  their  haste,  overshot  the  place  of  his  concealment ; 
when  the  Hart,  supposing  all  danger  to  have  passed, 
began  to  nibble  the  tendrils  of  the  Yine.  One  of  the 
huntsmen,  attracted  by  the  rustling  of  the  leaves, 
looked  back,  and,  seeing  the  Hart,  shot  an  arrow 
from  his  bow,  and  killed  it.  The  Hart,  at  the  point 
of  death,  groaned  out  these  words,  "I  am  rightly 
served ;  for  I  ought  not  to  have  maltreated  the  Yine 
that  saved  me." 


THE  THIEF  AND  THE  INNKEEPER. 

A  THIEF  hired  a  room  in  a  tavern,  and  stayed  some 
days,  in  the  hope  of  stealing  something  which  should 


146  The   Fables   of 

enable  hi™  to  pay  his  reckoning.  When  he  had  waited 
some  days  in  vain,  he  saw  the  Innkeeper  dressed  in  a 
new  and  handsome  coat,  and  sitting  before  his  door. 
The  Thief  sat  down  beside  him,  and  talked  with  him. 
As  the  conversation  began  to  flag,  the  Thief  yawned 
terribly,  and  at  the  same  time  howled  like  a  wolf. 
The  Innkeeper  said,  "  "Why  do  you  howl  so  fearfully  ?  " 
"  I  will  tell  you,"  said  the  Thief :  "  but  first  let  me  ask 
you  to  hold  my  clothes,  for  I  wish  to  leave  them  in 
your  hands.  I  know  not,  sir,  when  I  got  this  habit 
of  yawning,  nor  whether  these  attacks  of  howling 
were  inflicted  on  me  as  a  judgment  for  my  crimes,  or 
for  any  other  cause  ;  but  this  I  do  know,  that  when  I 
yawn  for  the  third  time,  I  actually  turn  into  a  wolf, 
and  attack  men  "  With  this  speech  he  commenced  a 
second  fit  of  yawning,  and  again  howled  as  a  wolf,  as 
he  did  at  first.  The  Innkeeper  hearing  his  tale,  and 
believing  what  he  said,  became  greatly  alarmed,  and, 
rising  from  his  seat,  attempted  to  run  away.  The 
Thief  laid  hold  of  his  coat,  and  entreated  him  to  stop, 
saying,  "Pray  wait,  sir,  and  hold  my  clothes,  or  I 
shall  tear  them  to  pieces  in  my  fury,  when  I  turn  into 
a  wolf."  At  the  same  moment  he  yawned  the  third 
time,  and  set  up  a  howl  like  a  wolf.  The  Innkeeper, 
frightened  lest  he  should  be  attacked,  left  his  new 
coat  in  his  hand,  and  ran  as  fast  as  he  could  into  the 
inn  for  safety.  The  Thief  made  off  with  his  new 
coat,  and  did  not  return  again  to  the  inn. 
Every  tale  is  not  to  be  believed. 


THE  KID  AND  THE  WOLF. 

A  KID,  returning  without  protection  from  the  pas- 
ture, was  pursued  by  a  "Wolf.  He  turned  round, 
and  said  to  the  Wolf:  "I  know,  Mend  Wolf,  that 
I  must  be  your  prey;  but  before  I  die,  I  would 
ask  of  you  one  favor,  that  you  will  play  me  a 
tune,  to  which  I  may  dance."  The  Wolf  complied, 
and  while  he  was  piping,  and  the  Kid  was  dancing, 
the  hounds,  hearing  the  sound,  came  up,  and, 
issuing  forth,  gave  chase  to  the  Wolf.  The  Wolf, 
turning  to  the  Kid,  said,  "  It  is  just  what  I  deserve ; 
for  I,  who  am  only  a  butcher,  should  not  have 
turned  piper  to  please  you." 


148  The  Fables  of 

THE  WALNUT-TREE. 

A  WALNUT-TREE  standing  by  the  roadside  bore  an 
abundant  crop  of  fruit.  The  passers-by  broke  its 
branches  with  stones  and  sticks  for  the  sake  of  the 
nuts.  The  Walnut-tree  piteously  exclaimed,  "0 
wretched  me!  that  those  whom  I  cheer  with  my 
fruit  should  repay  me  with  these  painful  requitals ! " 


THE  GNAT  AND  THE  LION. 

A  GNAT  came  and  said  to  a  Lion,  "  I  do  not  the  least 
fear  you,  nor  are  you  stronger  than  I  am.  For  in  what 
does  your  strength  consist?  You  can  scratch  with 
your  claws,  and  bite  with  your  teeth — so  can  a  woman 
in  her  quarrels.  I  repeat  that  I  am  altogether  more 
powerful  than  you ;  and  if  you  doubt  it,  let  us  fight 
and  see  who  will  conquer."  The  Gnat,  having  sounded 
his  horn,  fastened  itself  upon  the  Lion,  and  stung  him 
on  the  nostrils  and  the  parts  of  the  face  devoid  of 
hair.  The  Lion,  trying  to  crush  him,  tore  himself 
with  his  claws,  until  he  punished  himself  severely. 
The  Gnat  thus  prevailed  over  the  Lion,  and,  buzzing 
about  in  a  song  of  triumph,  flew  away.  But  shortly 
afterwards  he  became  entangled  in  the  meshes  of 
a  cobweb,  and  was  eaten  by  a  spider.  He  greatly 
lamented  his  fate,  saying,  "  Woe  is  me  !  that  I,  who 
can  wage  war  successfully  with  the  hugest  beasts, 
should  perish  myself  from  this  spider,  the  most  in- 
considerable of  insects ! " 


THE  MONKEY  AND  THE  DOLPHIN. 

A  SAILOR,  bound  on  a  long  voyage,  took  "with  him 
a  Monkey  to  amuse  him  while  on  shipboard.  As 
he  sailed  off  the  coast  of  Greece,  a  violent  tempest 
arose,  in  which  the  ship  was  wrecked,  and  he,  his 
Monkey,  and  all  the  crew  were  obliged  to  swim  for 
their  lives.  A  Dolphin  saw  the  Monkey  contending 
with  the  waves,  and  supposing  him  to  be  a  man 
(whom  he  is  always  said  to  befriend),  came  and 
placed  himself  under  him,  to  convey  him  on  his 
back  in  safety  to  the  shore.  When  the  Dolphin 


150  The  Fables  of 

arrived  with  his  burden  in  sight  of  land  not  far 
from  Athens,  he  demanded  of  the  Monkey  if  he 
were  an  Athenian,  who  replied  that  he  was,  and 
that  he  was  descended  from  one  of  the  most  noble 
families  in  that  city.  He  then  inquired  if  he  knew 
the  Piraeus  (the  famous  harbor  of  Athens).  The 
Monkey,  supposing  that  a  man  was  meant,  ans- 
wered, that  he  knew  him  very  well,  and  that  he 
was  an  intimate  friend.  The  Dolphin,  indignant  at 
these  falsehoods,  dipped  the  Monkey  under  the 
water,  and  drowned  him. 


THE  JACKDAW  AND  THE  DOVES 

A  JACKDAW  seeing  some  Doves  in  a  cote  abun- 
dantly provided  with  food,  painting  himself  white, 
joined  himself  to  them,  that  he  might  share  their 
plentiful  maintenance.  The  Doves,  as  long  as  he 
was  silent,  supposing  him  to  be  one  of  themselves, 
admitted  him  to  their  cote;  but  when,  one  day 
forgetting  himself,  he  began  to  chatter,  they,  dis- 
covering his  true  character,  drove  him  forth,  peck- 
ing him  with  their  beaks.  Failing  to  obtain  food 
among  the  Doves,  he  betook  himself  again  to  the 
Jackdaws.  They  too,  not  recognizing  him  on 
account  of  his  color,  expelled  him  from  living 
with  them.  So,  desiring  two  objects,  he  obtained 
neither. 


THE  HORSE  AND  THE  STAti. 

THE  Horse  had  the  plain  entirely  to  himself.  A 
Stag  intruded  into  his  domain,  and  shared  his 
pasture.  The  Horse  desiring  to  revenge  himself 
on  the  stranger,  requested  a  man,  if  he  were  will- 
ing, to  help  him  in  punishing  the  Stag.  The  man 
replied,  that  if  the  Horse  would  receive  a  bit  in 
his  mouth,  and  agree  to  carry  him,  that  he  would 
contrive  effectual  weapons  against  the  Stag.  The 
Horse  consented,  and  allowed  the  man  to  mount 
him.  From  that  hour  he  found  that,  instead  of 
obtaining  revenge  on  the  Stag,  he  had  enslaved 
himself  to  the  service  of  man. 


152  The   Fables   of 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  MONKEY. 

A  Fox  and  a  Monkey  were  traveling  together  on  the 
same  road.  As  they  journeyed,  they  passed  through 
a  cemetery  full  of  monuments.  "All  these  monu- 
ments which  you  see,"  said  the  Monkey,  "  are  erected 
in  honor  of  my  ancestors,  who  were  in  their  day  freed 
men,  and  citizens  of  great  renown."  The  Fox  replied, 
"You  have  chosen  a  most  appropriate  subject  for 
your  falsehoods,  as  I  am  sure  none  of  your  ances- 
tors will  be  able  to  contradict  you." 
A  false  tale  often  betrays  itself. 


THE  MAN  AND  HIS  WIFE. 

A  MAN  had  a  Wife  who  made  herself  hated  by  all 
the  members  of  his  household.  He  wished  to  find 
out  if  she  had  the  same  effect  on  the  persons  in  her 
father's  house.  He  therefore  made  some  excuse  to 
send  her  home  on  a  visit  to  her  father.  After  a  short 
time  she  returned,  when  he  inquired  how  she  had  got 
on,  and  how  the  servants  had  treated  her.  She  replied, 
"The  neatherds  and  shepherds  cast  on  me  looks  of 
aversion."  He  said,  "O  Wife,  if  you  were  disliked 
by  those  who  go  out  early  in  the  morning  with  their 
flocks,  and  return  late  in  the  evening,  what  must 
have  been  felt  towards  you  by  those  with  whom  you 
passed  the  whole  of  the  day !  " 
Straws  show  how  the  wind  blows. 


THE  THIEF  AND  THE  HOUSE-DOG. 

A  THIEF  came  in  the  night  to  break  into  a  house. 
He  brought  with  him  several  slices  of  meat,  that  he 
might  pacify  the  House-clog,  so  that  he  should  not 
alarm  his  master  by  barking.  As  the  Thief  threw 
him  the  pieces  of  meat,  the  Dog  said,  "  If  you  think 
to  stop  my  mouth,  you  will  be  greatly  mistaken. 
This  sudden  kindness  at  your  hands  will  only  make 
me  more  watchful,  lest  under  these  unexpected 
favors  to  myself,  you  have  some  private  ends  to 
accomplish  for  your  own  benefit,  and  for  my  master's 
injury." 


154  The   Fables   of  jEsop. 

THE  MAN,  THE  HOESE,  THE  OX,  AND 
THE  DOG. 

A  HOUSE,  Ox,  and  Dog,  driven  to  great  straits  by 
the  cold,  sought  shelter  and  protection  from  Man. 
He  received  them  kindly,  lighted  a  fire,  and  warmed 
them.  He  made  the  Horse  free  of  his  oats,  gave 
the  Ox  abundance  of  hay,  and  fed  the  Dog  with 
meat  from  his  own  table.  Grateful  for  these  favors, 
they  determined  to  repay  him  to  the  best  of  their 
ability  They  divided  for  this  purpose  the  term 
of  his  life  between  them,  and  each  endowed  one 
portion  of  it  with  the  qualities  which  chiefly 
characterized  himself.  The  Horse  chose  his  earliest 
years,  and  endowed  them  with  his  own  attributes : 
hence  every  man  is  in  his  youth  impetuous,  head- 
strong, and  obstinate  in  maintaining  his  own 
opinion.  The  Ox  took  under  his  patronage  the 
next  term  of  life,  and  therefore  man  in  his  middle 
age  is  fond  of  work,  devoted  to  labor,  and  resolute 
to  amass  wealth,  and  to  husband  his  resources. 
The  end  of  life  was  reserved  to  the  Dog,  wherefore 
the  old  man  is  often  snappish,  irritable,  hard  to 
please,  and  selfish,  tolerant  only  of  his  own  house- 
hold, but  averse  to  strangers,  and  to  all  who  do 
not  administer  to  his  comfort  or  to  his  necessities. 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  LION. 

A  Fox  who  had  never  yet  seen  a  Lion,  when  he  fell 
in  with  him  by  a  certain  chance  for  the  first  time  in 
the  forest,  was  so  frightened  that  he  was  near  dying 


with  fear.  On  his  meeting  with  him  for  the  second 
time,  he  was  still  much  alarmed,  but  not  to  the  same 
extent  as  at  first.  On  seeing  him  the  third  time,  he 


156  Tie  Falles  of 

so  increased  in  boldness  that  he  went  up  to  him,  and 
commenced  a  familiar  conversation  with  him. 
Acquaintance  softens  prejudices. 


THE  WEASEL  AND  THE  MICE. 

A  WEASEL,  inactive  from  age  and  infirmities,  was 
not  able  to  catch  mice  as  he  once  did.  He  there- 
fore rolled  himself  in  flour  and  lay  down  in  a  dark 
corner.  A  Mouse,  supposing  him  to  be  food,  leapt 
upon  him,  and,  being  instantly  caught,  was  squeezed 
to  death.  Another  perished  in  a  similar  manner, 
and  then  a  third,  and  still  others  after  them.  A 
very  old  Mouse,  who  had  escaped  full  many  a  trap 
and  snare,  observing  from  a  safe  distance  the  trick 
of  his  crafty  foe,  said,  "Ah!  you  that  lie  there, 
may  you  prosper  just  in  the  same  proportion  as 
you  are  what  you  pretend  to  be ! " 


TEE  BOY  BATHING. 

A  BOY  bathing  in  a  river  was  in  danger  of  being 
drowned.  He  called  out  to  a  traveler,  passing  by,  for 
help.  The  traveler,  instead  of  holding  out  a  helping 
hand,  stood  by  unconcernedly,  and  scolded  the  boy 
for  his  imprudence.  "Oh,  sir!"  cried  the  youth, 
"pray  help  me  now,  and  scold  me  afterwards." 
Counsel  without  help  is  useless. 


THE  APES  AND  THE  TWO  TRAVELERS. 

Two  men,  one  of  whom  always  spoke  the  truth  and 
the  other  told  nothing  but  lies,  were  traveling 
together,  and  by  chance  came  to  the  land  of  Apes. 


158  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

One  of  the  Apes,  who  had  raised  himself  to  be  king, 
commanded  them  to  be  laid  hold  of,  and  brought 
before  him,  that  he  might  know  what  was  said  of 
him  among  men.  He  ordered  at  the  same  time  that 
all  the  Apes  should  be  arranged  in  a  long  row  on  his 
right  hand  and  on  his  left,  and  that  a  throne  should 
be  placed  for  him,  as  was  the  custom  among  men. 
After  these  preparations,  he  signified  his  will  that 
the  two  men  should  be  brought  before  him,  and 
greeted  them  with  this  salutation :  "  What  sort  of  a 
king  do  I  seem  to  you  to  be,  O  strangers  ?  "  The 
lying  Traveler  replied,  "You  seem  to  me  a  most 
mighty  king."  "  And  what  is  your  estimate  of  those 
you  see  around  me?"  "These,"  he  made  answer, 
"  are  worthy  companions  of  yourself,  fit  at  least  to 
be  ambassadors  and  leaders  of  armies."  The  Ape 
and  all  his  court,  gratified  with  the  lie,  commanded 
a  handsome  present'  to  be  given  to  the  flatterer.  On 
this  the  truthful  Traveler  thought  within  himself, 
"If  so  great  a  reward  be  given  for  a  lie,  with  what 
gift  may  not  I  be  rewarded,  if,  according  to  my 
custom,  I  shall  tell  the  truth?"  The  Ape  quickly 
turned  to  him.  "And  pray  how  do  I  and  these 
my  friends  around  me  seem  to  you?"  "Thou  art," 
he  said,  "a  most  excellent  Ape,  and  all  these  thy 
companions  after  thy  example  are  excellent  Apes 
too."  The  King  of  the  Apes,  enraged  at  hearing 
these  truths,  gave  him  over  to  the  teeth  and  claws 
of  his  companions. 


THE  WOLF  AND  THE  SHEPHERD. 

A  WOLF  followed  a  flock  of  sheep  for  a  long  time, 
and  did  not  attempt  to  injure  one  of  them.  The 
Shepherd  at  first  stood  on  his  guard  against  him, 
as  against  an  enemy,  and  kept  a  strict  watch  over 
his  movements.  But  when  the  Wolf,  day  after  day, 
kept  in  the  company  of  the  sheep,  and  did  not  make 
the  slightest  effort  to  seize  them,  the  Shepherd  began 
to  look  upon  him  as  a  guardian  of  his  flock  rather 
than  as  a  plotter  of  evil  against  it;  and  when  occa- 
sion called  him  one  day  into  the  city,  he  left  the 
sheep  entirely  in  his  charge.  The  Wolf,  now  that 
he  had  the  opportunity,  fell  upon  the  sheep,  and 
destroyed  the  greater  part  of  the  flock.  The  Shep- 


160 


The  Fables  of  JEsop. 


herd  on  his  return  finding  his  flock  destroyed, 
exclaimed:  "I  have  been  rightly  served;  why  did 
I  trust  my  sheep  to  a  Wolf?  " 


THE  HARES  AND  THE  LIONS. 

THE  Hares  harangued  the  assembly,  and  argued 
that  all  should  be  on  an  equality.  The  Lions  made 
this  reply:  "Your  words,  O  Hares!  are  good;  but 
they  lack  both  claws  and  teeth  such  as  we  have." 


THE  LARK  AND  HER  YOUNG  ONES. 

A  LARK  had  made  her  nest  in  the  early  spring  OIL 
the  young  green  wheat.  The  brood  had  almost 
grown  to  their  proper  strength,  and  attained  the 
use  of  their  wings  and  the  full  plumage  of  their 
feathers,  when  the  owner  of  the  field,  overlooking 
his  crop,  now  quite  ripe,  said,  "The  time  is  come 
when  I  must  send  to  all  my  neighbors  to  help  me 
with  my  harvest."  One  of  the  young  Larks  heard 
his  speech,  and  related  it  to  his  mother,  inquiring 
of  her  to  what  place  they  should  move  for  safety. 
"There  is  no  occasion  to  move  yet,  my  son,"  she 
replied ;  "  the  man  who  only  sends  to  his  friends  to 


162  The  Fables  of 

help  him  with  his  harvest  is  not  really  in  earnest." 
The  owner  of  the  field  again  came  a  few  days  later, 
and  saw  the  wheat  shedding  the  grain  from  excess 
of  ripeness,  and  said,  "  I  will  come  myself  to-morrow 
with  my  laborers,  and  with  as  many  reapers  as  ^can 
hire,  and  will  get  in  the  harvest."  The  Lark  on 
hearing  these  words  said  to  her  brood,  "  It  is  time 
now  to  be  off,  my  little  ones,  for  the  man  is  in 
earnest  this  time ;  he  no  longer  trusts  to  his  friends, 
but  will  reap  the  field  himself." 
Self-help  is  the  best  help. 


THE  PEACOCK  AND  JUNO. 

THE  Peacock  made  complaint  to  Juno  that,  while  the 
nightingale  pleased  every  ear  with  his  song,  he  no 
sooner  opened  his  mouth  than  he  became  a  laughing- 
stock to  all  who  heard  him.  The  Goddess,  to  console 
him,  said,  "  But  you  far  excel  in  beauty  and  in  size. 
The  splendor  of  the  emerald  shines  in  your  neck, 
and  you  unfold  a  tail  gorgeous  with  painted  plu- 
mage." "But  for  what  purpose  have  I,"  said  the 
bird,  "  this  dumb  beauty,  so  long  as  I  am  surpassed 
in  song?"  "The  lot  of  each,"  replied  Juno,  "has 
been  assigned  by  the  will  of  the  Fates — to  thee, 
beauty;  to  the  eagle,  strength;  to  the  nightingale, 
song;  to  the  raven,  favorable,  and  to  the  crow, 
unfavorable  auguries.  These  are  all  contented  with 
the  endowments  allotted  to  them." 


THE  ASS  AND  THE  WOLF. 

AN  Ass,  feeding  in  a  meadow,  saw  a  Wolf  approach- 
ing to  seize  him,  and  immediately  pretended  to  be 
lame.  The  Wolf,  coming  up,  inquired  the  cause  of 
his  lameness.  The  Ass  said,  that  passing  through 
a  hedge  he  trod  with  his  foot  upon  a  sharp  thorn, 
and  requested  the  Wolf  to  pull  it  out,  lest  when 
he  supped  on  him  it  should  injure  his  throat.  The 
Wolf  consenting,  and  lifting  up  the  foot,  and  giving 
his  whole  mind  to  the  discovery  of  the  thorn,  the 
Ass  with  his  heels  kicked  his  teeth  into  his  mouth, 
and  galloped  away.  The  Wolf,  being  thus  fearfully 
mauled,  said,  "  I  am  rightly  served,  for  why  did  I 
attempt  the  art  of  healing,  when  my  father  only 
taught  me  the  trade  of  a  butcher?" 


164  The  Fables   of 


THE  SELLER  OF  IMAGES. 

A  CERTAIN  man  made  a  wooden  image  of  Mercury, 
and  offered  it  for  sale.  When  no  one  appeared  willing 
to  buy  it,  in  order  that  he  might  attract  purchasers, 
he  cried  out  that  he  had  the  statue  to  sell  of  a  bene- 
factor, who  bestowed  wealth  and  helped  to  heap  up 
riches.  One  of  the  bystanders  said  to  him,  "  My 
good  fellow,  why  do  you  sell  him,  being  such  a  one 
as  you  describe,  when  you  may  yourself  enjoy  the 
good  things  he  has  to  give?"  "Why,"  he  replied, 
"I  am  in  want  of  immediate  help,  and  he  is  wont 
to  give  his  good  gifts  very  slowly." 


THE  HAWK  AND  THE  NIGHTINGALE. 

A  NIGHTINGALE  sitting  aloft  upon  an  oak,  and  sing- 
ing according  to  his  wont,  was  seen  by  a  Hawk, 
who,  being  in  want  of  food,  made  a  swoop  down,  and 
seized  him.  The  Nightingale,  about  to  lose  his  life, 
earnestly  besought  the  Hawk  to  let  him  go,  saying 
that  he  was  not  big  enough  to  satisfy  the  hunger  of  a 
Hawk,  who,  if  he  wanted  food,  ought  to  pursue  the 
larger  birds.  The  Hawk,  interrupting  him,  said  :  "  I 
should  indeed  have  lost  my  senses  if  I  should  let 
go  food  ready  to  my  hand,  for  the  sake  of  pursuing 
birds  which  are  not  yet  even  within  sight." 


THE  DOG, 
THE  COCK,  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  DOG  and  a  Cock,  being  great 
friends,  agreed  to  travel  together. 
At  nightfall  they  took  shelter  in  a 
thick  wood.  The  Cock,  flying  up, 
perched  himself  on  the  branches 
of  a  tree,  while  the  Dog  found  a 
bed  beneath,  in  the  hollow  trunk. 


I 


166  The  Fables  of 

When  the  morning  dawned,  the  Cock,  as  usual, 
crowed  very  loudly  several  times.  A  Fox  hearing 
the  sound,  and  wishing  to  make  a  breakfast  on  him, 
came  and  stood  under  the  branches,  saying  how 
earnestly  he  desired  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
the  owner  of  so  magnificent  a  voice.  The  Cock, 
suspecting  his  civilities,  said :  "  Sir,  I  wish  you 
would  do  me  the  favor  to  go  round  to  the  hollow 
trunk  below  me,  and  wake  up  my  porter,  that  he 
may  open  the  door,  and  let  you  in."  On  the  Fox 
approaching  the  tree,  the  Dog  sprung,  out  and 
caught  him,  and  tore  him  in  pieces 


THE  GOAT  AND  THE  ASS. 

A  MAN  once  kept  a  Goat  and  an  Ass.  The  Goat, 
envying  the  Ass  on  account  of  his  greater  abun- 
dance of  food,  said,  "How  shamefully  you  are 
treated :  at  one  time  grinding  in  the  mill,  and  at 
another  carrying  heavy  burdens;"  and  he  further 
advised  him  that  he  should  pretend  to  be  epileptic, 
and  fall  into  a  ditch,  and  so  obtain  rest.  The  Ass 
gave  credence  to  his  words,  and  falling  into  a  ditch, 
was  very  much  bruised.  His  master,  sending  for  a 
leech,  asked  his  advice.  He  bade  him  pour  upon 
the  wounds  the  lights  of  a  Goat.  They  at  once 
killed  the  Goat,  and  so  healed  the  Ass. 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  MASK. 

A  Fox  entered  the  house  of  an  actor,  and,  rummag- 
ing through  all  his  properties,  came  upon  a  Mask,  an 
admirable  imitation  of  a  human  head.  He  placed 
his  paws  on  it,  and  said,  "What  a  beautiful  head! 
yet  it  is  of  no  value,  as  it  entirely  wants  brains." 


THE  LION  AND  THE  BULL. 

A  LION,  greatly  desirous  to  capture  a  Bull,  and  yet 
afraid  to  attack  him  on  account  of  his  great  size, 
resorted  to  a  trick  to  insure  his  destruction.  He 
approached  him  and  said,  "  I  have  slain  a  fine  sheep, 
my  friend;  and  if  you  will  come  home  and  partake 
of  him  with  me,  I  shall  be  delighted  to  have  your 
company."  The  Lion  said  this  in  the  hope  that,  as 
the  Bull  was  in  the  act  of  reclining  to  eat,  he  might 
attack  him  to  advantage,  and  make  his  meal  on  him. 


168  The  Fables   of  JEsop. 

The  Bull,  however,  on  his  approach  to  his  den, 
saw  the  huge  spits  and  giant  cauldrons,  and  no  sign 
whatever  of  the  sheep,  and,  without  saying  a  word, 
quietly  took  his  departure.  The  Lion  inquired  why 
he  went  off  so  abruptly  without  a  word  of  salutation 
to  his  host,  who  had  not  given  him  any  cause  of 
offence.  "I  have  reasons  enough,"  said  the  Bull. 
"I  see  no  indication  whatever  of  your  having  slaugh- 
tered a  sheep,  while  I  do  see,  very  plainly,  every 
preparation  for  your  dining  on  a  Bull." 


THE  GRASSHOPPER  AND  THE  OWL. 

AN  Owl,  accustomed  to  feed  at  night  and  to  sleep 
during  the  day,  was  greatly  disturbed  by  the  noise  of 
a  Grasshopper,  and  earnestly  besought  her  to  leave 
off  chirping.  The  Grasshopper  refused  to  desist,  and 
chirped  louder  and  louder  the  more  the  Owl  entreated. 
The  Owl,  when  she  saw  that  she  could  get  no  redress, 
and  that  her  words  were  despised,  attacked  the  chat- 
terer by  a  stratagem.  "Since  I  cannot  sleep,"  she 
said,  "  on  account  of  your  song,  which,  believe  me,  is 
sweet  as  the  lyre  of  Apollo,  I  shall  indulge  myself  in 
drinking  some  nectar  which  Pallas  lately  gave  me. 
If  you  do  not  dislike  it,  come  to  me,  and  we  will 
drink  it  together."  The  Grasshopper,  who  was  at 
once  thirsty,  and  pleased  with  the  praise  of  her 
voice,  eagerly  flew  up.  The  Owl,  coming  forth  from 
her  hollow,  seized  her,  and  put  her  to  death. 


THE  WOLF 

AND 
THE  GOAT. 

A  WOLF  saw  a  Goat  feeding  at 
tlie  summit  of  a  steep  precipice, 
where  he  had  not  a  chance  of 
reaching  her.  He  called  to 
her,  and  earnestly  besought  her 
to  come  lower  down,  lest  she 
should  by  some  mishap  get  a 


fall ;  and  he  added  that  the  meadows  lay  where  he 
was  standing,  and  that  the  herbage  was  most  tender. 
She  replied,  "No,  my  friend,  it  is  not  me  that  you 
invite  to  the  pasture,  but  you  yourself  are  in  want 
of  food." 


170  The  Fables  of 


THE  FOWLER  AND  THE  VIPER. 

A  FOWLEB,  taking  his  bird-lime  and  his  twigs,  went 
out  to  catch  birds.  Seeing  a  thrush  sitting  upon  a 
tree,  he  wished  to  take  it,  and  fitting  his  twigs  to 
a  proper  length,  he  watched  intently,  having  his 
whole  thoughts  directed  towards  the  sky.  While 
thus  looking  upwards,  he  unawares  trod  upon  a 
Viper  asleep  just  before  his  feet.  The  Viper,  turn- 
ing towards  him,  stung  him  ;  and  he,  falling  into  a 
swoon,  said  to  himself,  "Woe  is  me!  that  while  I 
purposed  to  hunt  another,  am  myself  fallen  una- 
wares into  the  snares  of  death." 


THE  HORSE  AND  THE  ASS. 

A  HOUSE,  proud  of  his  fine  trappings,  met  an  Ass 
on  the  highway.  The  Ass  being  heavily  laden 
moved  slowly  out  of  the  way.  "Hardly,"  said  the 
Horse,  "can  I  resist  kicking  you  with  my  heels." 
The  Ass  held  his  peace,  and  made  only  a  silent 
appeal  to  the  justice  of  the  gods.  Not  long  after- 
wards the  Horse,  having  become  broken-winded, 
was  sent  by  his  owner  to  the  farm.  The  Ass 
seeing  him  drawing  a  dung-cart,  thus  derided  him : 
"Where,  O  boaster,  are  now  all  thy  gay  trappings, 
thou  who  art  thyself  reduced  to  the  condition  you 
so  lately  treated  with  contempt?" 


THE. LION  AND  THE  THREE  BULLS. 

THREE  Bulls  for  a  long  time  pastured  together.  A 
Lion  lay  in  ambush  in  the  hope  of  making  them 
his  prey,  but  was  afraid  to  attack  them  whilst  they 
kept  together.  Having  at  last,  by  guileful  speeches, 
succeeded  in  separating  them,  he  attacked  them 
without  fear,  as  they  fed  alone,  and  feasted  on 
them  one  by  one  at  his  own  leisure. 
Union  is  strength. 


172  The   Fables   of 


THE  FLY  AND  THE  DRAUGHT-MULR 

A  FLY  sat  on  the  axle-tree  of  a  chariot,  and  address- 
ing the  Draught-mule  said,  "How  slow  you  are! 
"Why  do  you  not  go  faster?  See  if  I  do  not  prick 
your  neck  with  my  sting."  The  Draught-mule  re- 
plied, "  I  do  not  heed  your  threats  ;  I  only  care  for 
him  who  sits  above  you,  and  who  quickens  my  pace 
with  his  whip,  or  holds  me  back  with  the  reins. 
Away,  therefore,  with  your  insolence,  for  I  know 
well  when  to  go  fast,  and  when  to  go  slow." 


THE  FISHERMEN. 

SOME  Fishermen  were  out  trawling  their  nets.  Per- 
ceiving them  to  be  very  heavy,  they  danced  about 
for  joy,  and  supposed  that  they  had  taken  a  large 
draught  of  fish.  "When  they  had  dragged  the  nets 
to  the  shore  they  found  but  few  fish,  and  that  the 
nets  were  full  of  sand  and  stones;  and  they  were 
beyond  measure  cast  down — not  so  much  at  the 
disappointment  which  had  befallen  them,  as  be- 
cause they  had  formed  such  very  different  expecta- 
tions. One  of  their  company,  an  old  man,  said,  "  Let 
us  cease  lamenting,  my  mates,  for,  as  it  seems  to 
me,  sorrow  is  always  the  twin  sister  of  joy;  and  it 
was  only  to  be  looked  for  that  we,  who  just  now 
were  over-rejoiced,  should  next  have  something  to 
make  us  sad." 


THE  TOWN  MOUSE  AND  THE  COUNTRY. 
MOUSE. 

A  COUNTRY  Mouse  invited  a  Town  Mouse,  an  inti- 
mate friend,  to  pay  him  a  visit,  and  partake  of  his 
country  fare.  As  they  were  on  the  bare  plough-lands, 
eating  their  wheat-stalks  and  roots  pulled  up  from 
the  hedge-row,  the  Town  Mouse  said  to  his  friend, 
"  You  live  here  the  life  of  the  ants :  while  in  my 
house  is  the  horn  of  plenty.  I  am  surrounded  with 
every  luxury,  and  if  you  will  come  with  me,  as  I 
much  wish  you  would,  you  shall  have  an  ample 
share  of  my  dainties."  The  Country  Mouse  was 
easily  persuaded,  and  returned  to  town  with  his 
friend.  On  his  arrival,  the  Town  Mouse  placed 
before  him  bread,  barley,  beans,  dried  figs,  honey, 
raisins,  and,  last  of  all,  brought  a  dainty  piece  of 
cheese  from  a  basket.  The  Country  Mouse,  being 


174  The  Fables  of 

much  delighted  at  the  sight  of  such  good  cheer, 
expressed  his  satisfaction  in  warm  terms,  and  la- 
mented his  own  hard  fate.  Just  as  they  were 
beginning  to  eat,  some  one  opened  the  door,  and 
they  both  ran  off  squeaking  as  fast  as  they  could 
to  a  hole  so  narrow  that  two  could  only  find 
room  in  it  by  squeezing.  They  had  scarcely  again 
begun  their  repast  when  some  one  else  entered  to 
take  something  out  of  a  cupboard,  on  which  the  two 
Mice,  more  frightened  than  before,  ran  away  and  hid 
themselves.  At  last  the  Country  Mouse,  almost  fam- 
ished, thus  addressed  his  friend :  "  Although  you 
have  prepared  for  me  so  dainty  a  feast,  I  must  leave 
you  to  enjoy  it  by  yourself.  It  is  surrounded  by 
too  many  dangers  to  please  me.  I  prefer  my  bare 
plough-lands  and  roots  from  the  hedge-row,  so  that 
I  only  can  live  in  safety,  and  without  fear." 


THE  WOLF,  THE  FOX,  AND  THE  APE. 

A  WOLF  accused  a  Fox  of  theft,  but  he  entirely 
denied  the  charge.  An  Ape  undertook  to  adjudge 
the  matter  between  them.  When  each  had  fully 
stated  his  case,  the  Ape  pronounced  this  sentence : 
"I  do  not  think  you,  Wolf,  ever  lost  what  you 
claim;  and  I  do  believe  you,  Fox,  to  have  stolen 
what  you  so  stoutly  deny." 

The  dishonest,  if  they  act  honestly,  get  no  credit. 


THE  GEESE 

AND 
THE  CRANES. 

THE  Geese  and  the  Cranes  fed 
in  the  same  meadow.  A  bird- 
catcher  came  to  ensnare  them 
in  his  nets.  The  Cranes  being 


light  of  wing,  fled  away  at  his  approach;  while  the 
Geese,  being  slower  of  flight  and  heavier  in  their 
bodies,  were  captured. 


THE  WASPS,  THE  PARTRIDGES,  AND 
THE  FARMER. 

THE  Wasps  and  the  Partridges,  overcome  with  thirst, 
came  to  a  Farmer  and  besought  him  to  give  them 
some  water  to  drink.  They  promised  amply  to  repay 
him  the  favor  which  they  asked.  The  Partridges 


176  The  Fables  of  JEsop. 

declared  that  they  would  dig  around  liis  vines,  and 
make  them  produce  finer  grapes.  The  Wasps  said 
that  they  would  keep  guard,  and  drive  off  thieves 
with  their  stings.  The  Farmer,  interrupting  them, 
said :  "  I  have  already  two  oxen,  who,  without  mak- 
ing any  promises,  do  all  these  things.  It  is  surely 
better  for  me  to  give  the  water  to  them  than  to  you." 


THE  BROTHER  AND  THE  SISTER. 

A  FATHEE  had  one  son  and  one  daughter ;  the  former 
remarkable  for  his  good  looks,  the  latter  for  her  ex- 
traordinary ugliness.  "While  they  were  playing  one 
day  as  children,  they  happened  by  chance  to  look  to- 
gether into  a  mirror  that  was  placed  on  their  mother's 
chair.  The  boy  congratulated  himself  on  his  good 
looks ;  the  girl  grew  angry,  and  could  not  bear  the 
self-praises  of  her  brother ;  interpreting  all  he  said 
(and  how  could  she  do  otherwise?)  into  reflection 
on  herself.  She  ran  off  to  her  father,  to  be  avenged 
in  her  turn  on  her  brother,  and  spitefully  accused 
him  of  having,  as  a  boy,  made  use  of  that  which 
belonged  only  to  girls.  The  father  embraced  them 
both,  and  bestowing  his  kisses  and  affection  impar- 
tially on  each,  said:  "I  wish  you  both  every  day 
to  look  into  the  mirror:  you,  my  son,  that  you  may 
not  spoil  your  beauty  by  evil  conduct ;  and  you, 
my  daughter,  that  you  may  make  up  for  your  want 
of  beauty  by  your  virtues." 


', — v-s- 


THE  PLIND  MAN  AND  THE  WHELP. 

A  Blind  man  was  accustomed  to  distinguish  differ- 
ent animals  by  touching  them  with  his  hands.  The 
whelp  of  a  Wolf  was  brought  him,  with  a  request 
that  he  would  feel  it,  and  say  what  it  was.  He 
felt  it,  and  being  in  doubt,  said :  "  I  do  not  quite 
know  whether  it  is  the  cub  of  a  Fox,  or  the  whelp 
of  a  Wolf ;  but  this  I  know  full  well,  that  it  would 
not  be  safe  to  admit  him  to  the  sheepfold." 
Evil  tendencies  are  shown  in  early  life. 


178  The  Fables   of 


THE  DOGS  AND  THE  FOX. 

SOME  Dogs,  finding  the  skin  of  a  lion,  began  to  tear 
it  in  pieces  with  their  teeth.  A  Fox,  seeing  them, 
said,  "  If  this  lion  were  alive,  you  would  soon  find 
out  that  his  claws  were  stronger  than  your  teeth." 
It  is  easy  to  kick  a  man  that  is  down. 


THE  COBBLER  TURNED  DOCTOR. 

A  COBBLER  unable  to  make  a  living  by  his  trade, 
rendered  desperate  by  poverty,  began  to  practice 
medicine  in  a  town  in  which  he  was  not  known. 
He  sold  a  drag,  pretending  that  it  was  an  antidote 
to  all  poisons,  and  obtained  a  great  name  for  himself 
by  long-winded  puffs  and  advertisements.  He  hap- 
pened to  fall  sick  himself  of  a  serious  illness,  on  which 
the  Governor  of  the  town  determined  to  test  his  skill. 
For  this  purpose  he  called  for  a  cup,  and  while  fill- 
ing it  with  water,  pretended  to  mix  poison  with  the 
Cobbler's  antidote,  and  commanded  him  to  drink  it, 
on  the  promise  of  a  reward.  The  Cobbler,  under  the 
fear  of  death,  confessed  that  he  had  no  knowledge  of 
medicine,  and  was  only  made  famous  by  the  stupid 
clamors  of  the  crowd.  The  Governor  called  a  public 
assembly,  and  thus  addressed  the  citizens  :  "  Of  what 
folly  have  you  been  guilty  ?  You  have  not  hesitated 
to  entrust  your  heads  to  a  man,  whom  no  one  would 
employ  to  make  even  the  shoes  for  their  feet." 


THE  WOLF  AND  THE  HORSE. 

A  WOLF  coming  out  of  a  field  of  oats,  met  with  a 
Horse,  and  thus  addressed  him :  "I  would  advise 
you  to  go  into  that  field.  It  is  full  of  capital  oats, 
which  I  have  left  untouched  for  you,  as  you  are  a 
friend  the  very  sound  of  whose  teeth  it  will  be  a 
pleasure  to  me  to  hear."  The  Horse  replied,  "If 
oats  had  been  the  food  of  wolves,  you  would  never 
have  indulged  your  ears  at  the  cost  of  your  belly." 
Men  of  evil  reputation,  when  they  perform  a  good 
deed,  fail  to  get  credit  for  it. 


180  The   Fables   of  JEsop. 

THE  TWO  MEN  WHO  WERE  ENEMIES. 

Two  men,  deadly  enemies  to  each  other,  sailed  in 
the  same  vessel.  Determined  to  keep  as  far  apart  as 
possible,  the  one  seated  himself  in  the  stern,  and  the 
other  in  the  prow  of  the  ship.  A  violent  storm  hav- 
ing arisen,  and  the  vessel  being  in  great  danger  of  sink- 
ing, the  one  in  the  stern  inquired  of  the  pilot  which 
of  the  two  ends  of  the  ship  would  go  down  first.  On 
his  replying  that  he  supposed  it  would  be  the  prow, 
then  said  the  man,  "  Death  would  not  be  grievous  to 
me,  if  I  could  only  see  my  enemy  die  before  me." 


THE  GAME-COCKS  AND  THE  PARTRIDGE. 

A  MAN  had  two  Game-cocks  in  his  poultry-yard. 
One  day  by  chance  he  fell  in  with  a  tame  Partridge 
for  sale.  He  purchased  it,, and  brought  it  home  that 
it  might  be  reared  with  his  Game-cocks.  On  its 
being  put  into  the  poultry-yard  they  struck  at  it,  and 
followed  it  about,  so  that  the  Partridge  was  griev- 
ously troubled  in  mind,  and  supposed  that  he  was 
thus  evilly  treated  because  he  was  a  stranger.  Not 
long  afterwards  he  saw  the  Cocks  fighting  together, 
and  not  separating  before  one  had  well  beaten  the 
other.  He  then  said  to  himself,  "I  shall  no  longer 
distress  myself  at  being  struck  at  by  these  Game- 
cocks, when  I  see  that  they  cannot  even  refrain 
from  quarreling  with  each  other." 


THE  QUACK  FROG 

A  FROG  once  on  a  time  came  forth  from  his  home 
in  the  marsh,  and  made  proclamation  to  all  the 
beasts  that  he  was  a  learned  physician,  skilled  in 
the  use  of  drugs,  and  able  to  heal  all  diseases.  A 
Fox  asked  him,  "How  can  you  pretend  to  pre- 
scribe for  others,  who  are  unable  to  heal  your  own 
lame  gait  and  wrinkled  skin?" 


THE  LION,  THE  WOLF,  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  LION,  growing  old,  lay  sick  in  his  cave.  All  the 
beasts  came  to  visit  their  king,  except  the  Fox. 
The  Wolf  therefore,  thinking  that  he  had  a  capital 


182  The    Fables  of 

opportunity,  accused  the  Fox  to  the  Lion  for  not 
paying  any  respect  to  him  who  had  the  rule  over 
them  all,  and  for  not  coming  to  visit  him.  At  that 
very  moment  the  Fox  came  in,  and  heard  these 
last  words  of  the  Wolf.  The  Lion  roaring  out  in 
a  rage  against  him,  he  sought  an  opportunity  to 
defend  himself,  and  said,  "And  who  of  all  those 
who  have  come  to  you  have  benefited  you  so  much 
as  I,  who  have  traveled  from  place  to  place  in 
every  direction,  and  have  sought  and  learnt  from 
the  physicians  the  means  of  healing  you?"  The 
Lion  commanded  him  immediately  to  tell  him  the 
cure,  when  he  replied,  "  You  must  flay  a  wolf  alive, 
and  wrap  his  skin  yet  warm  around  you."  The 
Wolf  was  at  once  taken  and  flayed ;  whereon  the 
Fox,  turning  to  him,  said,  with  a  smile,  "You 
should  have  moved  your  master  not  to  ill,  but  to 
good  will." 


THE  DOG'S  HOUSE 

A  DOG,  in  the  winter  time,  rolled  together  and  coil- 
ed up  in  as  small  a  space  as  possible  on  account  of 
the  cold,  determined  to  make  himself  a  house.  When 
the  summer  returned  again  he  lay  asleep,  stretched 
at  his  full  length,  and  appeared  to  himself  to  be  of 
a  great  size,  and  considered  that  it  would  be  neither 
an  easy  nor  a  necessary  work  to  make  himself  such 
a  house  as  would  accommodate  him. 


THE  NORTH  WIND  AND  THE  SUN. 

THE  North  Wind  and  the  Sun  disputed  which  was 
the  most  powerful,  and  agreed  that  he  should  be 
declared  the  "victor  who  could  first  strip  a  way- 
faring man  of  his  clothes.  The  North  Wind  first 
tried  his  power,  and  blew  with  all  his  might:  but 
the  keener  became  his  blasts,  the  closer  the  trav- 
eler wrapped  his  cloak  around  him ;  till  at  last, 
resigning  all  hope  of  victory,  he  called  upon  the 
Sun  to  see  what  he  could  do.  The  Sun  suddenly 
shone  out  with  all  his  warmth.  The  traveler  no 
sooner  felt  his  genial  rays  than  he  took  off  one 
garment  after  another,  and  at  last,  fairly  overcome 


184  The  Fables  of  jEsop. 

with  heat,  undressed,  and  bathed  in  a  stream  that 
lay  in  his  path. 

Persuasion  is  better  than  force. 


THE  CROW  AND  MERCURY. 

A  CKOW  caught  in  a  snare  prayed  to  Apollo  to  re- 
lease him,  making  a  vow  to  offer  some  frankincense 
at  his  shrine.  Being  rescued  from  his  danger,  he 
forgot  his  promise.  Shortly  afterwards,  on  being 
again  caught  in  a  second  snare,  passing  by  Apollo 
he  made  the  same  promise  to  offer  frankincense  to 
Mercury,  when  he  appeared,  and  said  to  him,  "  O 
thou  most  base  fellow!  how  can  I  believe  thee, 
who  hast  disowned  and  wronged  thy  former 
patron  ?  " 


The   Fables   of  jflsop.  185 

THE  FOX  AND  THE  CEANE. 

A  Fox  invited  a  Crane  to  supper,  and  provided 
nothing  for  his  entertainment  but  some  soup  made 
of  pulse,  and  poured  out  into  a  broad  flat  stone 
dish.  The  soup  fell  out  of  the  long  bill  of  the 
Crane  at  every  mouthful,  and  his  vexation  at  not 
being  able  to  eat  afforded  the  Fox  most  intense 
amusement.  The  Crane,  in  his  turn,  asked  the  Fox 
to  sup  with  him,  and  set  before  her  a  flagon,  with 
a  long  narrow  mouth,  so  that  he  could  easily  insert 
his  neck,  and  enjoy  its  contents  at  his  leisure  ;  while 
the  Fox,  unable  even  to  taste  it,  met  with  a  fitting 
requital,  after  the  fashion  of  her  own  hospitality. 


THE  WOLF  AND  THE  LION. 

A  WOLF,  roaming  by  the  mountain's  side,  saw  his 
own  shadow,  as  the  sun  was  setting,  become  greatly 
extended  and  magnified,  and  he  said  to  himself, 
"Why  should  I,  being  of  such  an  immense  size,  and 
extending  nearly  an  acre  in  length,  be  afraid  of  the 
Lion?  Ought  I  not  to  be  acknowledged  as  King  of 
all  the  collected  beasts?"  While  he  was  indulg- 
ing in  these  proud  thoughts,  a  Lion  fell  upon  him, 
and  killed  him.  He  exclaimed  with  a  too  late  re- 
pentance, "  Wretched  me !  this  over-estimation  of 
myself  is  the  cause  of  my  destruction." 


186  The   Fables   of 


THE  BIRDS,  THE  BEASTS,  AND  THE  BAT. 

THE  Birds  waged  war  with  the  Beasts,  and  each 
party  were  by  turns  the  conquerors.  A  Bat,  fear- 
ing the  uncertain  issues  of  the  fight,  always,  betook 
himself  to  that  side  which  was.  the  strongest.  When 
peace  was  proclaimed,  his  deceitful  conduct  was 
apparent  to  both  the  combatants.  Therefore  being 
condemned  by  each  for  his  treachery,  he  was  driven 
forth  from  the  light  of  day,  and  henceforth  con- 
cealed himself  in  dark  hiding-places,  flying  always 
alone  and  at  night. 


THE  SPENDTHRIFT  AND  THE  SWALLOW. 

A  YOUNG  man,  a  great  spendthrift,  had  run  through 
all  his  patrimony,  and  had  but  one  good  cloak  left. 
He  happened  to  see  a  Swallow,  which  had  appear- 
ed before  its  season,  skimming  along  a  pool  and 
twittering  gaily.  He  supposed  that  summer  had 
come,  and  went  and  sold  his  cloak.  Not  many 
days  after,  the  winter  having  set  in  again  with  re- 
newed frost  and  cold,  he  found  the  unfortunate 
Swallow  lifeless  on  the  ground ;  and  said,  "  Unhappy 
bird!  what  have  you  done?  By  thus  appearing 
before  the  spring-time  you  have  not  only  killed 
yourself,  but  you  have  wrought  my  destruction 
also." 


THE  TRUMPETER  TAKEN  PRISONER. 

A  TRUMPETER,  bravely  leading  on  the  soldiers,  was 
captured  by  the  enemy.  He  cried  out  to  his  captors, 
"Pray  spare  me,  and  do  not  take  my  life  without 
cause  or  without  inquiry.  I  have  not  slain  a  single 
man  of  your  troop.  I  have  no  arms,  and  carry 
nothing  but  this  one  brass  trumpet."  "  That  is  the 
very  reason  for  which  you  should  be  put  to  death," 
they  said;  "for,  while  you  do  not  fight  yourself, 
your  trumpet  stirs  up  all  the  others  to  battle." 


188  The  Fables  of 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  LION. 

A  Fox  saw  a  Lion  confined  in  a  cage,  and,  standing 
near  him,  bitterly  reviled  him.  The  Lion  said  to 
the  Fox,  "It  is  not  thou  who  revilest  me;  but 
this  mischance  which  has  befallen  me." 


THE  OWL  AND  THE  BIRDS. 

AN  Owl,  in  her  wisdom,  counseled  the  Birds,  when 
the  acorn  first  began  to  sprout,  to  pull  it  up  by  all 
means  out  of  the  ground,  and  not  to  allow  it  to  grow, 
because  it  would  produce  the  mistletoe,  from  which  an 
irremediable  poison,  the  bird-lime,  would  be  extract- 
ed, by  which  they  would  be  captured.  The  Owl  next 
advised  them  to  pluck  up  the  seed  of  the  flax,  which 
men  had  sown,  as  it  was  a  plant  which  boded  no  good 
to  them.  And,  lastly,  the  Owl,  seeing  an  archer  ap- 
proach, predicted  that  this  man,  being  on  foot,  would 
contrive  darts  armed  with  feathers,  which  should  fly 
faster  than  the  wings  of  the  Birds  themselves.  The 
Birds  gave  no  credence  to  these  warning  words,  but 
considered  the  Owl  to  be  beside  herself,  and  said 
that  she  was  mad.  But  afterwards,  finding  her  words 
were  true,  they  wondered  at  her  knowledge,  and 
deemed  her  to  be  the  wisest  of  birds.  Hence  it  is 
that  when  she  appears  they  resort  to  her  as  know- 
ing all  things;  while  she  no  longer  gives  them  ad- 
vice, but  in  solitude  laments  their  past  folly. 


THE  ASS  IN  THE  LION'S  SKIN. 

AN  Ass,  having  put  on  the  Lion's  skin,  roamed  about 
in  the  forest,  and  amused  himself  by  frightening  all 
the  foolish  animals  he  met  with  in  his  wanderings. 
At  last  meeting  a  Fox,  he  tried  to  frighten  him 
also,  but  the  Fox  no  sooner  heard  the  sound  of 
his  voice,  than  he  exclaimed,  "I  might  possibly 
have  been  frightened  myself,  if  I  had  not  heard 
your  bray." 


THE  GOODS  AND  THE  ILLS. 

ALL  the  Goods  were  once  driven  out  by  the  Ills 
from  that  common  share  which  they  each  had  in 
the  affairs  of  mankind ;  for  the  Ills  by  reason  of 
their  numbers  had  prevailed  to  possess  the  earth. 


190  The    Fables  of  JEsop. 

The  Goods  wafted  themselves  to  heaven,  and  asked 
for  a  righteous  vengeance  on  their  persecutors. 
They  entreated  Jupiter  that  they  might  no  longer 
be  associated  with  the  Ills,  as  they  had  nothing  in 
common,  and  could  not  live  together,  but  were 
engaged  in  unceasing  warfare,  and  that  an  indisso- 
luble law  might  be  laid  clown  for  their  future  pro- 
tection. Jupiter  granted  their  request,  and  decreed 
that  henceforth  the  Ills  should  visit  the  earth  in 
company  with  each  other,  but  that  the  Goods  should 
one  by  one  enter  the  habitations  of  men.  Hence 
it  arises  that  Ills  abound,  for  they  come  not  one  by 
one,  but  in  troops,  and  by  no  means  singly;  while 
i\\Q -Goods  proceed  from  Jupiter,  and  are  given,  not 
alike  to  all,  but  singly,  and  separately ;  and  one  by 
one  to  those  who  are  able  to  discern  them. 


THE  SPAREOW  AND  THE  HAKE. 

A  HARE  pounced  upon  by  an  eagle  sobbed  very 
much,  and  uttered  cries  like  a  child.  A  Sparrow 
upbraided  her,  and  said,  "Where  now  is  thy  re- 
markable swiftness  of  foot?  Why  were  your  feet 
so  slow?"  While  the  Sparrow  was  thus  speaking, 
a  hawk  seized  him  on  a  sudden,  and  killed  him. 
The  Hare  was  comforted  in  her  death,  and  expiring 
said,  "Ah!  you  who  so  lately,  when  you  supposed 
yourself  safe,  exulted  over  my  calamity,  have  now 
yourself  reason  to  deplore  a  similar  misfortune." 


THE  MAN  AND  THE  SATYR. 

A  MAN  and  a  Satyr  once  poured  out  libations  together 
in  token  of  a  bond  of  alliance  being  formed  between 
them.  One  very  cold  wintry  day,  as  they  talked 
together,  the  Man  put  his  fingers  to  his  mouth,  and 
blew  on  them.  On  the  Satyr  inquiring  the  reason  of 
this,  he  told  him  that  he  did  it  to  warm  his  hands, 
they  were  so  cold.  Later  on  in  the  day  they  sat 
down  to  eat,  the  food  prepared  being  quite  scalding. 
The  Man  raised  one  of  the  dishes  a  little  towards  his 
mouth  and  blew  in  it.  On  the  Satyr  again  inquiring 
the  reason  of  this,  he  said  that  he  did  it  to  cool  the 
meat,  it  was  so  hot.  "  I  can  no  longer  consider  you 
as  a  friend,"  said  the  Satyr,  "  a  fellow  who  with  the 
same  breath  blows  hot  and  cold." 


192  The   Fallen   of 


THE  ASS  AND  HIS  PURCHASER. 

A  MAN  wished  to  purchase  an  Ass,  and  agreed  with 
its  owner  that  he  should  try  him  before  he  bought 
him.  He  took  the  Ass  home,  and  put  him  in  the 
straw-yard  with  his  other  Asses,  upon  which  he 
left  all  the  others,  and  joined  himself  at  once  to 
the  most  idle  and  the  greatest  eater  of  them  all. 
The  man  put  a  halter  on  him,  and  led  him  back  to 
his  owner;  and  on  his  inquiring  how,  in  so  short  a 
time,  he  could  have  made  a  trial  of  him,  "I  do  not 
need,"  he  answered,  "  a  trial  ;  I  know  that  he  will  be 
just  such  another  as  the  one  whom  of  all  the  rest 
he  chose  for  his  companion." 

A  man  is  known  by  the  company  he  keeps. 


THE  FLEA  AND  THE  OX. 

A  FLEA  thus  questioned  the  Ox :  '•  "What  ails  you, 
that,  being  so  huge  and  strong,  you  submit  to  the 
wrongs  you  receive  from  men,  and  thus  slave  for 
them  day  by  day ;  while  I,  being  so  small  a  creature, 
mercilessly  feed  on  their  flesh,  and  drink  their  blood 
without  stint  ?  "  The  Ox  replied :  "  I  do  not  wish 
to  be  ungrateful ;  for  I  am  loved  and  well  cared  for 
by  men.  and  they  often  pat  my  head  and  shoulders." 
"Woe's  me!"  said  the  Flea;  "this  very  patting 
which  you  like,  whenever  it  happens  to  me,  brings 
with  it  my  inevitable  destruction." 


THE  DOVE  AND  THE  CROW. 

A  DOVE  shut  up  in  a  cage  was  boasting  of  the 
large  number  of  the  young  ones  which  she  had 
hatched.  A  Crow  hearing  her,  said:  "My  good 
friend,  cease  from  this  unseasonable  boasting.  The 
larger  the  number  of  your  family,  the  greater  your 
cause  of  sorrow,  in  seeing  them  shut  up  in  this 
prison-house." 


MERCURY  AND  THE  WORKMEN. 

A  WORKMAN,  felling  wood  by  the  side  of  a  river,  let 
his  axe  drop  by  accident  into  a  deep  pool.  Being  thus 
deprived  of  the  means  of  his  livelihood,  he  sat  down 


194  The   Fables   of 

on  the  bank,  and  lamented  his  hard  fate.  Mercury 
appeared,  and  demanded  the  cause  of  his  tears.  He 
told  him  his  misfortune,  when  Mercury  plunged  into 
the  stream,  and,  bringing  up  a  golden  axe,  inquired  if 
that  were  the  one  he  had  lost.  On  his  saying  that  it 
was  not  his,  Mercury  disappeared  beneath  the  water 
a  second  time,  and  returned  with  a  silver  axe  in  his 
hand,  and  again  demanded  of  the  Workman  if  it  were 
his.  On  the  Workman  saying  it  was  not,  he  dived 
into  the  pool  for  the  third  time,  and  brought  up  the 
axe  that  had  been  lost.  On  the  Workman  claiming 
it,  and  expressing  his  joy  at  its  recovery,  Mercury, 
pleased  with  his  honesty,  gave  him  the  golden  and 
the  silver  axes  in  addition  to  his  own. 

The  Workman,  on  his  return  to  his  house,  related 
to  his  companions  all  that  had  happened.  One  of 
them  at  once  resolved  to  try  whether  he  could  not 
also  secure  the  same  good  fortune  to  himself.  He 
ran  to  the  river,  and  threw  his  axe  on  purpose  into 
the  pool  at  the  same  place,  and  sat  down  on  the 
bank  to  weep.  Mercury  appeared  to  him  just  as 
he  hoped  he  would ;  and  having  learned  the  cause 
of  his  grief,  plunged  into  the  stream,  and  brought 
up  a  golden  axe,  and  inquired  if  he  had  lost  it. 
The  Workman  seized  it  greedily,  and  declared  that 
of  a  truth  it  was  the  very  same  axe  that  he  had 
lost.  Mercury,  displeased  at  his  knavery,  not  only 
took  away  the  golden  axe,  but  refused  .  to  recover 
for  him  the  axe  he  had  thrown  into  the  pool. 


THE  EAGLE  AND  THE  JACKDAW. 

AN  Eagle  flying  down  from  his  eyrie  on  a  lofty  rock, 
seized  upon  a  lamb,  and  carried  him  aloft  in  his 
talons.  A  Jackdaw,  who  witnessed  the  capture  of 
the  lamb,  was  stirred  with  envy,  and  determined  to 
emulate  the  strength  and  flight  of  the  Eagle.  He 
flew  round  with  a  great  whirr  of  his  wings,  and  set- 
tled upon  a  large  ram,  with  the  intention  of  carrying 
him  off,  but  his  claws  becoming  entangled  in  his 
fleece  he  was  not  able  to  release  himself,  although 
he  fluttered  with  his  feathers  as  much  as  he  could. 
The  shepherd,  seeing  what  had  happened,  ran  up 
and  caught  him.  He  at  once  clipped  his  wings,  and 


196  The   Fables  of  jEsop. 

taking  him  home  at  night,  gave  him  to  his  children. 
On  their  saying,  "  Father,  what  kind  of  bird  is 
it  ?  "  he  replied,  "  To  my  certain  knowledge  he  is  a 
Daw;  but  he  will  have  it  that  he  is  an  Eagle." 


JUPITER,  NEPTUNE,  MINE  EVA,  AND  MOM  US. 

ACCOBDING  to  an  ancient  legend,  the  first  man  was 
made  by  Jupiter,  the  first  bull  by  Neptune,  and  the 
first  house  by  Minerva.  On  the  completion  of  their 
labors,  a  dispute  arose  as  to  which  had  made  the 
most  perfect  work.  They  agreed  to  appoint  Monius 
as  judge,  and  to  abide  by  his  decision.  Momus,  how- 
ever, being  very  envious  of  the  handicraft  of  each, 
found  fault  with  all.  He  first  blamed  the  work  of 
Neptune,  because  he  had  not  made  the  horns  of  the 
bull  below  his  eyes,  that  he  might  better  see  where 
to  strike.  He  then  condemned  the  work  of  Jupiter, 
because  he  had  not  placed  the  heart  of  man  on  the 
outside,  that  every  one  might  read  the  thoughts  of 
the  evil  disposed,  and  take  precautions  against  the 
intended  mischief.  And,  lastly,  he  inveighed  against 
Minerva,  because  she  had  not  contrived  iron  wheels 
in  the  foundation  of  her  house,  that  its  inhabitants 
might  more  easily  remove  if  a  neighbor  should  prove 
unpleasant.  Jupiter,  indignant  at  such  inveterate 
fault-finding,  drove  him  from  his  office  of  judge,  and 
expelled  him  from  the  mansions  of  Olympus. 


THE  EAGLE  AND  THE 
FOX 

AN  Eagle  and  a  Fox 
formed  an  intimate  friend- 
ship, and  decided  to  live 
near  each  other.  The 
Eagle  built  her  nest  in  the 
branches  of  a  tall  tree, 


198  The  Fables  of 

while  the  Fox  crept  into  the  underwood  and  there 
produced  her  young.  Not  long  after  they  had  agreed 
upon  this  plan,  when  the  Fox  was  ranging  for  food, 
the  Eagle,  being  in  want  of  provision  for  her  young 
ones,  swooped  down  and  seized  upon  one  of  the 
little  cubs,  and  feasted  herself  and  brood.  The  Fox 
on  her  return,  discovering  what  had  happened,  was 
less  grieved  for  the  death  of  her  young  than  for  her 
inability  to  avenge  them.  A  just  retribution,  how- 
ever, quickly  fell  upon  the  Eagle.  While  hovering 
near  an  altar,  on  which  some  villagers  were  sacri- 
ficing a  goat,  she  suddenly  seized  a  piece  of  the 
flesh,  and  carried  with  it  to  her  nest  a  burning  cin- 
der. A  strong  breeze  soon  fanned  the  spark  into 
a  flame,  and  the  eaglets,  as  yet  unfledged  and  help- 
less, were  roasted  in  their  nest  and  dropped  down 
dead  at  the  bottom  of  the  tree.  The  Fox  gobbled 
them  up  in  the  sight  of  the  Eagle. 


THE  TWO  BAGS. 

EVERY  man,  according  to  an  ancient  legend,  is  born 
into  the  world  with  two  bags  suspended  from  his 
neck — a  small  bag  in  front  full  of  his  neighbors' 
faults,  and  a  large  bag  behind  filled  with  his  own 
faults.  Hence  it  is  that  men  are  quick  to  see  the 
faults  of  others,  and  yet  are  often  blind  to  their 
own  failings. 


THE  STAG  AT  THE  POOL. 

A  STAG  overpowered  by  heat  came  to  a  spring  to 
drink.  Seeing  his  own  shadow  reflected  in  the  water, 
he  greatly  admired  the  size  and  variety  of  his  horns, 
but  felt  angry  with  himself  for  having  such  slender 
and  weak  feet.  "While  he  was  thus  contemplating 
himself,  a  Lion  appeared  at  the  pool  and  crouched 
to  spring  upon  him.  The  Stag  immediately  betook 
himself  to  flight:  and  exerting  his  utmost  speed,  as 
long  as  the  plain  was  smooth  and  open,  kept  him- 
self with  ease  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  Lion.  But 
entering  a  wood  he  became  entangled  by  his  horns : 
and  the  Lion  quickly  came  up  with  him  and  caught 


200 


The   Fables   of 


him.  When  too  late  lie  thus  reproached  himself: 
"  Woe  is  me !  How  have  I  deceived  myself !  These 
feet  which  would  have  saved  me  I  despised,  and  I 
gloried  in  these  antlers  which  have  proved  my  de- 
struction." 
What  is  most  truly  valuable  is  often  underrated. 


THE  BITCH  AND  HER  WHELPS. 

A  BITCH  ready  to  whelp,  earnestly  begged  of  a 
shepherd  a  place  where  she  might  litter.  On  her 
request  being  granted,  she  again  besought  permis- 
sion to  rear  her  puppies  in  the  same  spot.  The 
shepherd  again  consented.  But  at  last  the  Bitch, 
protected  with  the  body-guard  of  her  Whelps,  who 
had  now  grown  up,  and  were  able  to  defend  them- 
selves, asserted  her  exclusive  right  to  the  place,  and 
would  not  permit  the  shepherd  to  approach. 


THE  DOGS  AND  THE  HIDES. 

SOME  Dogs,  famished  with  hunger,  saw  some  cow 
hides  steeping  in  a  river.  Not  being  able  to  reach 
them,  they  agreed  to  drink  up  the  river :  but  it  fell 
out  that  they  burst  themselves  with  drinking  long 
before  they  reached  the  hides. 
Attempt  not  impossibilities. 


THE  JACKDAW  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  HALF-FAMISHED  Jackdaw  seated  himself  on  a  fig- 
tree,  which  had  produced  some  fruit  entirely  out  of 
season,  and  waited  in  the  hope  that  the  figs  would 


202  The    Fables  of 

ripen.  A  Fox  seeing  him  sitting  so  long,  and  learn- 
ing the  reason  of  his  doing  so,  said  to  him,  "You 
are  indeed,  sir,  sadly  deceiving  yourself;  you  are 
indulging  a  hope  strong  enough  to  cheat  you,  but 
which  will  never  reward  you  with  enjoyment." 


THE  LARK  BURYING  ITS  FATHER. 

THE  Lark  (according  to  an  ancient  legend)  was 
created  before  the  earth  itself;  and  when  her  father 
died  by  a  fell  disease,  as  there  was  no  earth,  she 
could  find  for  him  no  place  of  burial.  She  let  him 
lie  uninterred  for  five  days,  and  on  the  sixth  day, 
being  in  perplexity,  she  buried  him  in  her  own 
head.  Hence  she  obtained  her  crest,  which  is  popu- 
larly said  to  be  her  father's  grave-hillock. 
Youth's  first  duty  is  reverence  to  parents. 


THE  GNAT  AND  THE  BULL. 

A  GNAT  settled  on  the  horn  of  a  Bull,  and  sat  there 
a  long  time.  Just  as  he  was  about  to  fly  off,  he 
made  a  buzzing  noise,  and  inquired  of  the  Bull  if 
he  would  like  him  to  go.  The  Bull  replied,  "I  did 
not  know  you  had  come,  and  I  shall  not  miss  you 
when  you  go  away." 

Some  men  are  of  more  consequence  in  their  own 
eyes  than  in  the  eyes  of  their  neighbors. 


THE  MONKEY  AND  THE  CAMEL. 

THE  beasts  of  the  forest  gave  a  splendid  entertain- 
ment, at  which  the  Monkey  stood  up  and  danced. 
Having  vastly  delighted  the  assembly,  he  sat  down 
amidst  universal  applause.  The  Camel,  envious  of 
the  praises  bestowed  on  the  Monkey,  and  desirous 
to  divert  to  himself  the  favor  of  the  guests,  pro- 
posed to  stand  up  in  his  turn,  and  dance  for  their 
amusement.  He  moved  about  in  so  utterly  ridiculous 
a  manner,  that  the  Beasts  in  a  fit  of  indignation 
set  upon  him  with  clubs,  and  drove  him  out  of  the 
assembly. 

It  is  absurd  to  ape  our  betters. 


204  The   Fables   of 


THE  SHEPHERD  AND  THE  SHEEP. 

A  SHEPHERD  chiving  liis  Sheep  to  a  wood,  saw  al 
oak  of  unusual  size,  full  of  acorns,  and,  spreading 
his  cloak  under  the  branches,  he  climbed  up  into 
the  tree,  and  shook  down  the  acorns.  The  Sheep 
eating  the  acorns,  inadvertently  frayed  and  tore  the 
cloak.  The  Shepherd  coming  down,  and  seeing 
what  was  done,  said,  "  O  you  most  ungrateful 
creatures  !  you  provide  wool  to  make  garments  for 
all  other  men,  but  you  destroy  the  clothes  of  him 
who  feeds  you." 


THE  PEASANT  AND  THE  APPLE-TREE. 

A  PEASANT  had  in  his  garden  an  Apple-tree,  which 
bore  no  fruit,  but  only  served  as  a  harbor  for  the 
sparrows  and  grasshoppers.  He  resolved  to  cut  it 
down,  and,  taking  his  axe  in  his  hand,  made  a  bold 
stroke  at  its  roots.  The  grasshoppers  and  sparrows 
entreated  him  not  to  cut  down  the  tree  that  sheltered 
them,  but  to  spare  it,  and  they  would  sing  to  him 
and  lighten  his  labors.  He  paid  no  attention  to 
their  request,  but  gave  the  tree  a  second  and  a  third 
blow  with  his  axe :  when  he  reached  the  hollow  of 
the  tree,  he  found  a  hive  full  of  honey.  Having 
tasted  the  honeycomb,  he  threw  down  his  axe,  and, 
looking  on  the  tree  as  sacred,  took  great  care  of  it. 
Self  interest  alone  moves  some  men. 


The   Fables   of  ^sop.  205 

THE  TWO  SOLDIERS  AND  THE  ROBBER. 

Two  Soldiers  traveling  together,  were  set  upon  by 
a  Bobber.  The  one  fled  away;  the  other  stood  his 
ground,  and  defended  himself  with  his  stout  right 
hand.  The  Robber  being  slain,  the  timid  companion 
runs  up  and  draws  his  sword,  and  then,  throwing 
back  his  traveling  cloak,  says,  "  I'll  at  him,  and  I'll 
take  care  he  shall  leam  whom  he  has  attacked." 
On  this  he  who  had  fought  with  the  Bobber  made 
answer,  "I  only  wish  that  you  had  helped  me  just 
now,  even  if  it  had  been  only  with  those  words,  for 
I  should  have  been  the  more  encouraged,  believing 
them  to  be  true ;  but  now  put  up  your  sword  in 
its  sheath  and  hold  your  equally  useless  tongue, 
till  you  can  deceive  others  who  do  not  know  you. 
I,  indeed,  who  have  experienced  with  what  speed 
you  run  away,  know  right  well  that  no  dependence 
can  be  placed  on  your  valor." 

. 

THE  TREES  UNDER  THE  PROTECTION  OF 
THE  GODS. 

THE  Gods,  according  to  an  ancient  legend,  made  choice 
of  certain  trees  to  be  under  their  special  protection. 
Jupiter  chose  the  oak,  Venus  the  myrtle,  Apollo  the 
laurel,  Cybele  the  pine,  and  Hercules  the  poplar. 
Minerva,  wondering  why  they  had  preferred  trees  not 
yielding  fruit,  inquired  the  reason  of  their  choice. 


206  The  Fables  of 

Jupiter  replied,  "  It  is  lest  we  should  seem  to  covet 
the  honor  for  the  fruit."  But  said  Minerva,  "Let 
any  one  say  what  he  will,  the  olive  is  more  dear  to 
me  on  account  of  its  fruit."  Then  said  Jupiter,  "  My 
daughter,  you  are  rightly  called  wise;  for  unless 
what  we  do  is  useful,  the  glory  of  it  is  vain." 


TRUTH  AND  THE  TRAVELER. 

A  WAYFARING  man,  traveling  in  the  desert,  met  a 
woman  standing  alone  and  terribly  dejected.  He 
inquired  of  her,  "Who  art  thou?"  "My  name  is 
Truth,"  she  replied.  "And  for  what  cause,"  he 
asked,  "have  you  left  the  city,  to  dwell  alone  here 
in  the  wilderness?"  She  made  answer,  "Because 
in  former  times,  falsehood  was  with  few,  but  is  now 
with  aU  men,  whether  you  would  hear  or  speak." 


THE  MANSLAYER. 

A  MAN  committed  a  murder,  and  was  pursued  by 
fche  relations  of  the  man  whom  he  murdered.  On 
his  reaching  the  river  Nile  he  saw  a  lion  on  its  bank, 
and  being  fearfully  afraid,  climbed  up  a  tree.  He 
found  a  serpent  in  the  upper  branches  of  the  tree, 
and  again  being  greatly  alarmed  he  threw  himself 
into  the  river,  when  a  crocodile  caught  him  and  ate 
him.  Thus  the  earth,  the  air,  and  the  water,  alike 
refused  shelter  to  a  murderer. 


THE  LION  AND  THE  FOX. 

A  Fox  entered  into  partnership  with  a  Lion,  on  the 
pretense  of  becoming  his  servant.  Each  undertook 
his  proper  duty  in  accordance  with  his  own  nature 
and  powers.  The  Fox  discovered  and  pointed  out 
the  prey,  the  Lion  sprung  on  it,  and  seized  it. 
The  Fox  soon  became  jealous  of  the  Lion  carrying 
off  the  Lion's  share,  and  said  that  he  would  no 
longer  find  out  the  prey,  but  would  capture  it  on 
his  own  account.  The  next  day  he  attempted  to 
snatch  a  lamb  from  the  fold,  but  fell  himself  a  prey 
to  the  huntsmen  and  hounds. 


208  The  Fables  of 


THE  LION  AND  THE  EAGLE. 

AN  Eagle  stayed  his  flight,  and  entreated  a  Lion  to 
make  an  alliance  with  him  to  their  mutual  advan- 
tage. The  Lion  replied,  "  I  have  no  objection,  but 
you  must  excuse  me  for  requiring  you  to  find  surety 
for  your  good  faith  ;  for  how  can  I  trust  any  one 
as  a  friend,  who  is  able  to  fly  away  from  his  bar- 
gain whenever  he  pleases?" 
Try  before  you  trust. 


THE  HEN  AND  THE  SWALLOW. 

A  HEN  finding  the  eggs  of  a  viper,  and  carefully 
keeping  them  warm,  nourished  them  into  life.  A 
Swallow  observing  what  she  had  done,  said,  "You 
silly  creature!  why  have  you  hatched  these  vipers, 
which,  when  they  shall  have  grown,  will  inflict 
injury  on  all,  beginning  with  yourself?" 


THE  FLEA  AND  THE  WRESTLER. 

A  FLEA  settled  upon  the  bare  foot  of  a  Wrestler,  and 
bit  him;  on  which  he  called  loudly  upon  Hercules 
for  help.  The  Flea  a  second  time  hopped  upon  his 
foot,  when  he  groaned  and  said,  "O  Hercules!  if 
you  will  not  help  me  against  a  Flea,  how  can  I  hope 
for  your  assistance  against  greater  antagonists  ?  " 


THE  ASS  AND  HIS  DRIVER. 

Ax  Ass  being  driven  along  the  high  road,  suddenly 
started  off,  and  bolted  to  the  brink  of  a  deep  preci- 
pice. When  he  was  in  the  act  of  throwing  himself 
over,  his  owner,  seizing  him  by  the  tail,  endeavored 
to  pull  him  back.  The  Ass,  persisting  in  his  effort, 
the  man  let  him  go  and  said,  "  Conquer  :  but  con- 
quer to  your  cost." 


THE  THRUSH  AND  THE  FOWLER. 

A  THRUSH  was  feeding  on  a  myrtle-tree,  and  did  not 
move  from  it,  on  account  of  the  deliciousness  of  its 
berries.  A  Fowler  observing  her  staying  so  long  in 
one  spot,  having  well  birdlimed  his  reeds,  caught  her. 


210  The    Fables  of 

The  Thrush,  being  at  the  point  of  death,  exclaimed, 
"  O  foolish  creature  that  I  am !  For  the  sake  of  a  lit- 
tle pleasant  food  I  have  deprived  myself  of  my  life." 


THE  ROSE  AND  THE  AMARANTH. 

AN  Amaranth  planted  in  a  garden  near  a  Hose-tree, 
thus  addressed  it:  "What  a  lovely  flower  is  the 
Hose,  a  favorite  alike  with  Gods  and  with  men.  I 
envy  you  your  beauty  and  your  perfume."  The 
Rose  replied,  "I  indeed,  dear  Amaranth,  flourish 
but  for  a  brief  season!  If  no  cruel  hand  pluck 
me  from  my  stem,  yet  I  must  perish  by  an  early 
doom.  But  thou  art  immortal,  and  dost  never 
fade,  but  bloomest  for  ever  in  renewed  youth." 


THE  TRAVELERS  AND  THE  PLANE-TREE. 

Two  Travelers,  worn  out  by  the  heat  of  the  summer's 
sun,  laid  themselves  down  at  noon  under  the  wide- 
spreading  branches  of  a  Plane-tree.  As  they  rested 
under  its  shade,  one  of  the  Travelers  said  to  the 
other,  "  What  a  singularly  useless  tree  is  the  Plane  ! 
It  bears  no  fruit,  and  is  not  of  the  least  service  to 
man."  The  Plane-tree,  interrupting  him,  said,  "  You 
ungrateful  fellows !  Do  you,  while  receiving  benefits 
from  me,  and  resting  under  my  shade,  dare  to  de- 
scribe me  as  useless,  and  unprofitable?" 
Some  men  despise  their  best  blessings. 


TEE  MOTHER 

AND 
THE   WOLF. 

A    FAMISHED    Wolf    was 

prowling  about  in  the 
morning   in    search    of 
food.    As  he  passed  the 
door  of  a  cottage  built  in 
the  forest,  he  heard  a 
Mother  say  to  her  child, 
"Be    quiet,    or    I    will 
throw  you   out   of  the 
window,  and  the  Wolf 
shall   eat   you."      The 
Wolf  sat  all  day  waiting 
at  the  door.  In  the  eve- 
he  heard  the  same  woman  fondling 
her  child  and  saying,  "  He  is  quiet  now, 
and  if  the  Wolf  should  come,  we  will 
kill   him."      The    Wolf,   hearing   these 


212  The  Fables   of 

words,  went  home,  gaping  with  cold  and  hunger.  On 
his  reaching  his  den,  Mistress  Wolf  inquired  of  him 
why  he  returned  wearied  and  supperless,  so  contrary 
to  his  wont.  He  replied  :  "  Why,  forsooth ! — because 
I  gave  credence  to  the  words  of  a  woman !  " 


THE  ASS  AND  THE  HORSE. 

AN  Ass  besought  a  Horse  to  spare  him  a  small 
portion  of  his  feed.  "  Yes,"  said  he  :  "  if  any  remains 
out  of  what  I  am  now  eating  I  will  give  it  you,  for 
the  sake  of  my  own  superior  dignity ;  and  if  you  will 
come  when  I  shall  reach  my  own  stall  in  the  evening, 
I  will  give  you  a  little  sack  full  of  barley."  The 
Ass  replied :  "  Thank  you.  I  can't  think  that  you, 
who  refuse  me  a  little  matter  now,  will  by  and  by 
confer  on  me  a  greater  benefit." 


THE  CROW  AND  THE  SHEEP. 

A  TROUBLESOME  Crow  seated  herself  on  the  back  of 
a  Sheep.  The  Sheep,  much  against  his  wiU,  carried 
her  backward  and  forward  for  a  long  time,  and  at 
last  said,  "If  you  have  treated  a  dog  in  this  way, 
you  would  have  had  your  deserts  from  his  sharp 
teeth."  To  this  the  Crow  replied,  "I  despise  the 
weak,  and  yield  to  the  strong.  I  know  whom  I 
may  bully,  and  whom  I  must  flatter;  and  I  thus 
prolong  my  life  to  a  good  old  age." 


THE  PARTRIDGE  AND  THE  FOWLER. 

A  FOWLER  caught  a  Partridge,  and  was  about  to 
kill  it.  The  Partridge  earnestly  besought  him  to 
spare  his  life,  saying,  "Pray,  master,  permit  me  to 
live,  and  I  will  entice  many  Partridges  to  you  in 
recompense  for  your  mercy  to  me."  The  Fowler 
replied,  "I  shall  now  with  the  less  scruple  take 
your  life :  because  you  are  willing  to  save  it  at  the 
cost  of  betraying  your  friends  and  relations." 


THE  FOX  AND  THE  BRAMBLE. 

A  Fox,  mounting  a  hedge,  when  he  was  about  to 
fall  caught  hold  of  a  Bramble.  Having  pricked 
and  grievously  torn  the  soles  of  his  feet,  he  ac- 
cused the  Bramble,  because,  when  he  had  fled  to 


214  The   Fables   of 

her  for  assistance,  she  had  used  him  worse  than 
the  hedge  itself.  The  Bramble,  interrupting  him, 
said,  "But  you  really  must  have  been  out  of  your 
senses  to  fasten  yourself  on  me,  who  am  myself 
always  accustomed  to  fasten  upon  others." 


THE  DOG  AND  THE  OYSTER. 

A  DOG,  used  to  eating  eggs,  saw  an  Oyster;  and 
opening  his  mouth  to  its  widest  extent,  swallowed 
it  down  with  the  utmost  relish,  supposing  it  to  be 
an  egg.  Soon  afterwards  suffering  great  pain  in 
his  stomach,  he  said,  "I  deserve  all  this  torment, 
for  my  folly  in  thinking  that  everything  round  must 
be  an  egg." 

They   who    act    without    sufficient    thought,    will 
often  fall  into  unsuspected  danger. 


THE  FLEA  AND  THE  MAN. 

A  MAN,  very  much  annoyed  with  a  Flea,  caught 
him  at  last,  and  said,  "Who  are  you  who  dare  to 
feed  on  my  limbs,  and  to  cost  me  so  much  trouble 
in  catching  you  ?  "  The  Flea  replied,  "  O  my  dear 
sir,  pray  spare  my  life,  and  destroy  me  not,  for  I 
cannot  possibly  do  you  much  harm."  The  Man, 
laughing,  replied,  "Now  you  shall  certainly  die  by 
mine  own  hands,  for  no  evil,  whether  it  be  small 
or  large,  ought  to  be  tolerated," 


THE  ASS  AND  THE  CHARGER. 

AN  Ass  congratulated  a  Horse  on  being  so  ungrudg- 
ingly and  carefully  provided  for,  while  he  himself  had 
scarcely  enough  to  eat,  nor  even  that  without  hard 
work.  But  when  war  broke  out,  and  the  heavy  armed 
soldier  mounted  the  Horse,  and  riding  him  to  the 
charge,  rushed  into  the  very  midst  of  the  enemy, 
and  the  Horse,  being  wounded,  fell  dead  on  the 
battle-field,  then  the  Ass,  seeing  all  these  things, 
changed  his  mind,  and  commiserated  the  Horse. 


210  The    Falles   of  JEsop. 

THE  LION,  JUPITER,  AND  THE  ELEPHANT. 

THE  Lion  wearied  Jupiter  with  his  frequent  com- 
plaints. "  It  is  true,"  he  said,  "  O  Jupiter !  that  I  am 
gigantic  in  strength,  handsome  in  shape,  and  powerful 
in  attack.  I  have  jaws  well  provided  with  teeth,  and 
feet  furnished  with  claws,  and  I  lord  it  over  all  the 
beasts  of  the  forest ;  and  what  a  disgrace  it  is,  that 
being  such  as  I  am,  I  should  be  frightened  by  the 
crowing  of  a  cock."  Jupiter  replied,  "Why  do  you 
blame  me  without  a  cause  ?  I  have  given  you  all  the 
attributes  which  I  possess  myself,  and  your  courage 
never  fails  you  except  in  this  one  instance  "  On  this 
the  Lion  groaned  and  lamented  very  much,  and  re- 
proached himself  with  his  cowardice,  and  wished  that 
he  might  die.  As  these  thoughts  passed  through  his 
mind,  he  met  an  Elephant,  and  came  near  to  hold  a 
conversation  with  him.  After  a  time  he  observed  that 
the  Elephant  shook  his  ears  very  often,  and  he  inquir- 
ed what  was  the  matter,  and  why  his  ears  moved  with 
such  a  tremor  every  now  and  then.  Just  at  that 
moment  a  gnat  settled  on  the  head  of  the  Elephant, 
and  he  replied,  "  Do  you  see  that  little  buzzing  in- 
sect ?  If  it  enters  my  ear,  my  fate  is  sealed.  I  should 
die  presently."  The  Lion  said,  "  Well,  since  so  huge 
a  beast  is  afraid  of  a  tiny  gnat,  I  will  no  more  com- 
plain, nor  wish  myself  dead.  I  find  myself,  even  as 
I  am,  better  off  than  the  Elephant,  in  that  very  same 
degree  that  a  cock  is  greater  than  a  gnat." 


THE  LAME  AND  THE  WOLF. 

A  WOLF  pursued  a  Lamb,  which  fled  for  refuge  to  a 
certain  temple.  The  Wolf  called  out  to  him,  and 
said,  "  The  priest  will  slay  you  in  sacrifice,  if  he 
should  catch  you,"  on  which  the  Lamb  replied,  "  It 
would  be  better  for  me  to  be  sacrificed  in  the  tem- 
ple, than  to  be  eaten  by  you." 


218  The    Fables   of  JEsop. 

THE  RICH  MAN  AND  THE  TANNER. 

A  RICH  man  lived  near  a  Tanner,  and  not  being  able 
to  bear  the  unpleasant  smell  of  the  tan-yard,  he 
pressed  his  neighbor  to  go  away.  The  Tanner  put 
off  his  departure  from  time  to  time,  saying  that  lu> 
would  remove  soon.  -But  as  he  still  continued  to  stay, 
it  came  to  pass,  as  time  went  on,  the  rich  man  became 
accustomed  to  the  smell,  and  feeling  no  manner  of 
inconvenience,  made  no  further  complaints. 


THE  MULES  AND  THE  ROBBERS. 

Two  Mules,  well  laden  with  packs,  were  trudging 
along.  One  carried  panniers  filled  with  money,  the 
other  sacks  weighted  with  grain.  The  Mule  carry- 
ing the  treasure  wralked  with  head  erect,  as  if  con- 
scious of  the  value  of  his  burden,  and  tossed  up 
and  down  the  clear  toned  bells  fastened  to  his  neck. 
His  companion  followed  with  quiet  and  easy  step. 
All  on  a  sudden  Robbers  rushed  from  their  hiding- 
places  upon  them,  and  in  the  scuffle  with  their 
owners,  wounded  with  a  sword  the  Mule  carrying 
the  treasure,  which  they  greedily  seized  upon,  while 
they  took  no  notice  of  the  grain.  The  Mule  which 
had  been  robbed  and  wounded,  bewailed  his  mis- 
fortunes. The  other  replied,  "  I  am  indeed  glad 
that  I  was  thought  so  little  of,  for  I  have  lost 
nothing,  nor  am  I  hurt  with  any  wound. 


THE  VIPER  AND  THE  FILE. 

A  VIPER  entering  the  workshop  of  a  smith,  sought 
from  the  tools  the  means  of  satisfying  his  hunger. 
He  more  particularly  addressed  himself  to  a  File, 
and  asked  of  him  the  favor  of  a  meal.  The  File 
replied,  "You  must  indeed  be  a  simple-minded  fel- 
low if  you  expect  to  get  anything  from  me,  who 
am  accustomed  to  take  from  every  one,  and  never 
to  give  anything  in  return." 
The  covetous  are  poor  givers. 


220  The   Fallen  of 

THE  LION  AND  THE  SHEPHERD. 

A  LION,  roaming  through  a  forest,  trod  upon  a  thorn, 
and  soon  after  canie  up  towards  a  Shepherd,  and 
fawned  upon  him,  wagging  his  tail,  as  if  he  would  say, 
"  I  am  a  suppliant,  and  seek  your  aid."  The  Shepherd 
boldly  examined,  and  discovered  the  thorn,  and  plac- 
ing his  foot  upon  his  lap,  pulled  it  out  and  relieved 
the  Lion  of  his  pain,  who  returned  into  the  forest. 
Some  time  after,  the  Shepherd  being  imprisoned  on  a 
false  accusation,  is  condemned  "to  be  cast  to  the 
Lions,"  as  the  punishment  of  his  imputed  crime. 
The  Lion,  on  being  released  from  his  cage,  recog- 
nizes the  Shepherd  as  the  man  who  healed  him, 
and,  instead  of  attacking  him,  approaches  and  places 
his  foot  upon  his  lap.  The  King,  as  soon  as  ho 
heard  the  tale,  ordered  the  Lion  to  be  set  free 
again  in  the  forest,  and  the  Shepherd  to  be  par- 
doned and  restored  to  his  friends. 


THE  CAMEL  AND  JUPITER. 

THE  Camel,  when  he  saw  the  bull  adorned  with 
horns,  envied  him,  and  wished  that  he  himself 
•could  obtain  the  same  honors.  He  went  to  Jupi- 
ter, and  besought  him  to  give  him  horns.  Jupiter, 
vexed  at  his  request,  because  he  was  not  satisfied 
with  his  size  and  strength  of  body,  and  desired 
yet  more,  not  only  refused  to  give  him  horns,  but- 
even  deprived  him  of  a  portion  of  his  ears. 


Tlie   Fables   of  ^sop  221 

THE  PANTHER  AND  THE  SHEPHERDS. 

A  PANTHER,  by  some  mischance,  fell  into  a  pit.  The 
Shepherds  discovered  him,  and  threw  sticks  at  him, 
and  pelted  him  with  stones,  while  some  of  them,  moved 
with  compassion  towards  one  about  to  die  even  though 
no  one  should  hurt  him,  threw  in  some  food  to  prolong 
his  life.  At  night  they  returned  home,  not  dreaming 
of  any  danger,  but  supposing  that  on  the  morrow  they 
should  find  him  dead.  The  Panther,  however,  when 
he  had  recruited  his  feeble  strength,  freed  himself  with 
a  sudden  bound  from  the  pit,  and  hastened  home  with 
rapid  steps  to  his  den.  After  a  few  days  he  came  forth 
and  slaughtered  the  cattle,  and,  killing  the  Shepherds 
who  had  attacked  him,  raged  with  angry  fury.  Then 
they  who  had  spared  his  life,  fearing  for  their  safety, 
surrendered  to  him  their  flocks,  and  begged  only  for 
then-  lives;  to  whom  the  Panther  made  this  reply: 
"I  remember  alike  those  who  sought  my  life  with 
stones,  and  those  who  gave  me  food — lay  aside,  there^ 
fore,  your  fears.  I  return  as  an  enemy  only  to  those 
who  injured  me." 


THE  EAGLE  AND  THE  KITE. 

AN  Eagle,  overwhelmed  with  sorrow,  sat  upon  the 
branches  of  a  tree,  in  company  with  a  Kite.  "  "Why," 
said  the  Kite,  "  do  I  see  you  with  such  a  rueful  look?  " 
"  I  seek,"  she  replied,  "  for  a  mate  suitable  for  me,  and 
am  not  able  to  find  one."  "  Take  me,"  returned  the 


222  The   Fables   of  jEsop. 

Kite,  "I  am  much  stronger  than  you  are."  "Why, 
are  you  able  to  secure  the  means  of  living  by  your 
plunder?"  "Well,  I  have  often  caught  and  carried 
away  an  ostrich  in  my  talons."  The  Eagle,  persuaded 
by  these  words,  accepted  him  as  her  mate.  Shortly 
after  the  nuptials,  the  Eagle  said,  "Fly  off,  and 
bring  me  back  the  ostrich  you  promised  me."  The 
Kite,  soaring  aloft  into  the  air,  brought  back  the 
shabbiest  possible  mouse,  and  stinking  from  the 
length  of  time  it  had  lain  about  the  fields,  "Is 
this,"  said  the  Eagle,  "the  faithful  fulfilment  of 
your  promise  to  me?"  The  Kite  replied,  "That  I 
might  attain  to  your  royal  hand,  there  is  nothing 
that  I  would  not  have  promised,  however  much 
I  knew  that  I  must  fail  in  the  performance." 


THE  EAGLE  AND  HIS  CAPTOR. 

AN  Eagle  was  once  captured  by  a  man,  who  at  once 
clipped  his  wings,  and  put  him  into  his  poultry  yard 
with  the  other  birds;  at  which  treatment  the  Eagle 
was  weighed  down  with  grief.  Another  neighbor 
having  purchased  him,  suffered  his  feathers  to  grow 
again.  The  Eagle  took  flight,  and  pouncing  upon 
a  hare  brought  it  at  once  as  an  offering  to  his 
benefactor.  A  Fox,  seeing  this,  exclaimed,  "  Do 
not  propitiate  the  favor  of  this  man,  but  of  your 
former  owner,  lest  he  should  again  hunt  for  you, 
and  deprive  you  a  second  time  of  your  wings." 


THE  KING'S  SON  AND  THE  PAINTED  LION. 

A  KING  who  had  one  only  son,  fond  of  martial 
exercises,  had  a  dream  in  which  he  was  warned  that 
his  son  would  be  killed  by  a  Hon.  Afraid  lest  the 
dream  should  prove  true,  he  built  for  his  son  a  pleas- 
ant palace,  and  adorned  its  walls  for  his  amusement 
with  all  kinds  of  animals  of  the  size  of  life,  among 
which  was  the  picture  of  a  Hon.  When  the  young 
Prince  saw  this,  his  grief  at  being  thus  confined 
burst  out  afresh,  and,  standing  near  the  lion,  he 
thus  spoke:  "O  you  most  detestable  of  animals! 
through  a  lying  dream  of  my  father's,  which  he  saw 
in  his  sleep,  I  am  shut  up  on  your  account  in  this 


224  The  Fables  of  jEsop. 

palace  as  if  I  had  been  a  girl :  what  shall  I  now  do 
to  you?"  With  these  words  he  stretched  out  his 
hands  toward  a  thorn-tree,  meaning  to  cut  a  stick 
from  its  branches  that  he  might  beat  the  lion,  when 
one  of  its  sharp  prickles  pierced  his  finger,  and 
caused  great  pain  and  inflammation,  so  that  the 
young  Prince  fell  down  in  a  fainting  fit.  A  violent 
fever  suddenly  set  in,  from  which  he  died  not  many 
days  after. 

We  had  better  bear  our  troubles  bravely  than  try 
to  escape  them. 


THE  GAT  AND  VENUS. 

A  CAT  fell  in  love  with  a  handsome  young  man,  and 
entreated  Venus  that  she  would  change  her  into  the 
form  of  a  woman.  Venus  consented  to  her  request, 
and  transformed  her  into  a  beautiful  damsel,  so  that 
the  youth  saw  her,  and  loved  her,  and  took  her  home 
as  his  bride.  While  they  were  reclining  in  their 
chamber,  Venus,  wishing  to  discover  if  the  Cat  in 
her  change  of  shape  had  also  altered  her  habits  of 
life,  let  down  a  mouse  in  the  middle  of  the  room. 
She,  quite  forgetting  her  present  condition,  started 
up  from  the  couch  and  pursued  the  mouse,  wishing 
to  eat  it.  Venus,  much  disappointed,  again  caused 
her  to  return  to  her  former  shape. 
Nature  exceeds  nurture. 


The   Fables   of  JEsop.  225 

THE  EAGLE  AND  THE  BEETLE. 

THE  Eagle  and  the  Beetle  were  at  enmity  together, 
and  they  destroyed  one  another's  nests.  The  Eagle 
gave  the  first  provocation  in  seizing  upon,  and  in 
eating  the  young  ones  of  the  Beetle.  The  Beetle 
got  by  stealth  at  the  Eagle's  eggs,  and  rolled  them 
out  of  the  nest,  and  followed  the  Eagle  even  into 
the  presence  of  Jupiter.  On  the  Eagle  making  his 
complaint,  Jupiter  ordered  him  to  make  his  nest 
in  his  lap ;  and  while  Jupiter  had  the  eggs  in  his 
lap,  the  Beetle  came  flying  about  him,  and  Jupiter 
rising  up  unawares,  to  drive  him  away  from  his 
head,  threw  down  the  eggs,  and  broke  them. 

The  weak  often  revenge  themselves  on  those  who 
use  them  ill,  even  though  they  be  the  more  powerful. 


THE  SHE-GOATS  AND  THEIR  BEARDS. 

THE  She-goats  having  obtained  by  request  from 
Jupiter  the  favor  of  a  beard,  the  He-goats,  sorely 
displeased,  made  complaint  that  the  females  equaled 
them  in  dignity.  "Suffer  them,"  said  Jupiter,  "to 
enjoy  an  empty  honor,  and  to  assume  the  badge 
of  your  nobler  sex,  so  long  as  they  are  not  your 
equals  in  strength  or  courage." 

It  matters  little  if  those  who  are  inferior  to  us 
in  merit  should  be  like  us  in  outside  appearances. 


226  The   Falles   of 


THE  BALD  MAN  AND  THE  FLY. 

A  FLY  bit  the  bare  head  of  a  Bald  Man,  who,  endea- 
voring to  destroy  it,  gave  himself  a  heavy  slap.  Then 
said  the  Fly  mockingly,  "You  who  have  wished  to 
revenge,  even  with  death,  the  prick  of  a  tiny  insect, 
what  will  you  do  to  yourself,  who  have  added  insult 
to  injury  ?  "  The  Bald  Man  replied,  "  I  can  easily 
make  peace  with  myself,  because  I  know  there  was 
no  intention  to  hurt.  But  you,  an  ill-favore'd  and 
contemptible  insect,  who  delight  in  sucking  human 
blood,  I  wish  that  I  could  have  killed  you,  even  if 
I  had  incurred  a  heavier  penalty." 


THE  SHIPWRECKED  MAN  AND  THE  SEA. 

A  SHIPWRECKED  Man,  having  been  cast  upon  a 
certain  shore,  slept  after  his  buffetings  with  the 
deep.  After  a  while  waking  up,  when  lie  looked 
upon  the  sea,  he  loaded  it  with  reproaches  that' 
enticing  men  with  the  calmness  of  its  looks,  when 
it  had  induced  them  to  plough  its  waters,  it  grew 
rough  and  destroyed  them  utterly.  The  Sea,  as- 
suming the  form  of  a  woman,  replied  to  him : 
"Blame  not  me,  my  good  sir,  but  the  winds,  for  I 
am  by  my  own  nature  as  calm  and  firm  even  as 
this  earth ;  but  the  winds  falling  on  me  on  a 
sudden,  create  these  waves,  and  lash  me  into  fury." 


THE  BUFFOON  AND  THE  COUNTRYMAN. 

A  RICH  nobleman  once  opened  the  theatres  without 
charge  to  the  people,  and  gave  a  public  notice  that 
he  would  handsomely  reward  any  person  who  should 
invent  a  new  amusement  for  the  occasion.  Various 
public  performers  contended  for  the  prize.  Among 
them  came  a  Buffoon  well  known  among  the  popu- 
lace for  his  jokes,  and  said  that  he  had  a  kind  of  en- 
tertainment which  had  never  been  brought  out  on  any 
stage  before.  This  report  being  spread  about  made 
a  great  stir  in  the  place,  and  the  theatre  was  crowded 
in  eveiy  part.  The  Buffoon  appeared  alone  upon 
the  boards,  without  any  apparatus  or  confederates, 


228  The    Fables  of  jEsop. 

and  the  very  sense  of  expectation  caused  an  intense 
silence.  The  Buffoon  suddenly  bent  his  head  towards 
his  bosom,  and  imitated  the  squeaking  of  a  little  pig 
so  admirably  with  his  voice,  that  the  audience  declared 
that  he  had  a  porker  under  his  cloak,  and  demanded 
that  it  should  be  shaken  out.  When  that  was  done, 
and  yet  nothing  was  found,  they  cheered  the  actor, 
and  loaded  him  with  the  loudest  applause.  A  Coun- 
try-man in  the  crowd,  observing  all  that  had  passed, 
said,  "So  help  me,  Hercules,  he  shall  not  beat  ine  at 
that  trick!"  and  at  once  proclaimed  that  he  would  do 
the  same  thing  on.  the  next  day,  though  in  a  much 
more  natural  way.  On  the  morrow  a  still  larger  crowd 
assembled  in  the  theatre ;  but  now  partiality  for 
their  favorite  actor  very  generally  prevailed,  and  the 
audience  came  rather  to  ridicule  the  Countryman  than 
to  see  the  spectacle.  Both  of  the  performers,  how- 
ever, appeared  on  the  stage.  The  Buffoon  granted 
and  squeaked  away  first,  and  obtained,  as  on  the 
preceding  day,  the  applause  and  cheers  of  the  spec- 
tators. Next  the  Countryman  commenced,  and  pre- 
tending that  he  concealed  a  little  pig  beneath  his 
clothes  (which  in  truth  he  did,  but  not  suspected  of 
the  audience)  contrived  to  lay  hold  of  and  to  pull 
his  eay,  when  he  began  to  squeak,  and  to  express  in 
his  pain  the  actual  cry  of  the  pig.  The  crowd,  how- 
ever, cried  oiit  with  one  consent  that  the  Buffoon 
had  given  a  far  more  exact  imitation,  and  clamored 
for  the  Comitrvman  to  be  kicked  out  of  the  theatre. 


The   Fables   of  JEsop  229 

On  this  the  rustic  produced  the  little  pig  from  his 
cloak,  and  showed  by  the  most  positive  proof  the 
greatness  of  their  mistake.  "Look  here,"  he  said, 
"this  shows  what  sort  of  judges  you  are." 


THE  CROW  AND  THE  SERPENT. 

A  CROW,  in  great  want  of  food,  saw  a  Serpent  asleep 
in  a  sunny  nook,  and  flying  down,  greedily  seized  him. 
The  Serpent  turning  about,  bit  the  Crow  with  a  mortal 
wound ;  the  Crow  in  the  agony  of  death  exclaimed : 
"  O  unhappy  me !  who  have  found  in  that  which  I 
deemed  a  happy  windfall  the  source  of  my  destruc- 
tion." 


THE  HUNTER  AND  THE  HORSEMAN. 

A  CERTAIN  Hunter  having  snared  a  Hare,  placed  it 
upon  his  shoulders,  and  set  out  homewards.  He  met 
on  his  way  with  a  man  on  horseback  who  begged  the 
hare  of  him,  under  the  pretense  of  purchasing  it.  The 
Horseman  having  got  the  hare,  rode  off  as  fast  as  he 
could.  The  Hunter  ran  after  him,  as  if  he  was  sure 
of  overtaking  him.  The  Horseman,  however,  increas- 
ing more  and  more  the  distance  between  them,  the 
Hunter,  sorely  against  his  will,  called  out  to  him,  and 
said,  "  Get  along  with  you !  for  I  will  now  make  you 
a  present  of  the  hare." 


230  The   Fables   of 


THE  OLIVE-TREE  AND  THE  FIG-TREE. 

THE  Olive-tree  ridiculed  the  Fig-tree  because,  while 
she  was  green  all  the  year  round,  the  Fig-tree 
changed  its  leaves  with  the  seasons.  A  shower  of 
snow  fell  upon  them,  and,  finding  the  Olive  full  of 
foliage,  it  settled  upon  its  branches,  and,  breaking 
them  down  with  its  weight,  at  once  despoiled  it 
of  its  beauty  and  killed  the  tree;  but  finding  the 
Fig-tree  denuded  of  leaves,  it  fell  through  to  the 
ground,  and  did  not  injure  it  at  all. 


THE  FROGS'  COMPLAINT  AGAINST  THE  SUN. 

ONCE  upon  a  time,  when  the  Sun  announced  his 
intention  to  take  a  wife,  the  Frogs  lifted  up  their 
voices  in  clamor  to  the  sky.  Jupiter,  disturbed  by 
the  noise  of  their  croaking,  inquired  the  cause  of 
their  complaint.  One  of  them  said,  "  The  Sun,  now 
while  he  is  single,  parches  up  the  marsh,  and  com- 
pels us  to  die  miserably  in  our  arid  homes;  what 
will  be  our  future  condition  if  he  should  beget 
other  suns?" 


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